Our Beautiful Mission

What a Morning!

2012-02-26T09:27:00.005-05:00

Last night I worked hard to prepare a special lesson for my sunday school class (5-7yr olds) and I woke up this morning excited about what I had planned. I ate breakfast with the kids and was about to have them go and get dressed when there was a frantic knock on my door. A house mother told me that the power at Beautiful Gate was out and they could not get the generator working. Normally this is not a big deal but we recently have added a child here at Beautiful Gate who has some medical needs and one requirement for this child is to have electricity for their special machine to work. We were told to try not to let the child go more than 30 minutes without electricity in order to keep the child at their best health.

I (Bryan was out of town so that is why I took over)rushed over to the maintenance worker on duty to see what the problem was and found that the generator had gas, but would not start. At this point it had been 30 minutes so I told the staff to contact the nurse and then I would drive the child and the house mother to the hospital where they had power (Maseru schedules days with no power till 4pm and it was only 8am). Thankfully, the driver of the Beautiful Gate bus arrived and offered to drive us as I have no idea where the hospital is. It is brand new and on the side of town I am not familiar with it. Once we arrived (which was quite fast as our driver put on the flashers and drove MUCH faster than I would have been comfortable driving!) the nurses and doctors got the child all situated and the child looked pretty good. I was told that we could leave and the house mother would bring the child home once the city had power restored.

So the driver and I got into the car and he told me I was driving home (what I have not admitted is that I have only driven twice in the last 14 months). I said okay and started driving back to BG. Well, we had only gone a block or two when he asked me to pull into a drive because he was going to stay in town to do some work with some prison inmates (very noble and praiseworthy volunteer work). I dropped him off and then I told him I have no idea how to get back. I asked if I turn right at the main road to get back to town and he said yes, so off I went. First time driving alone in Maseru and I was completely lost. I did not pay a ton of attention to the roads we took to get there because I was busy looking back at the child and praying for the child, the house mother and our driver. So I figured there is only one way I was ever going to make it home... I asked Jesus to help me! And He did, within minutes after I prayed I saw a sign pointing the direction to the Maseru Bridge and I knew if I could find my way there, I could get home. Luckily, as I drove on the road (which was busy and a little crazy as the stop lights/robots were not working due to the power outage) I became more familiar with my surroundings and made my way home without having to go all the way to the Maseru bridge. What an adventure! Thank you God for getting me home, thank you Lisa for taking over my sunday school class which I completely missed, and thank you Mom for keeping my kids safe during all this!

I came home and told all the staff that the child would be returning at 4 (which is what the doctor told me) when the power returned, but I was just informed that the child will be remaining at the hospital. I was given no other details as to why, but please pray that this child can come home quickly and ease the worry of the staff as they wait for the child's return.
Anita

Unfair Start

2012-02-22T13:19:00.004-05:00

How do I even start this blog post? What can I even say to describe to you what I have seen and how I feel? I feel full of grief and sadness because I have seen a child who is so severely malnourished that he can’t even walk. He is almost 6 years old. A year and a half older than my youngest child, yet he is only about 1/3 her size. I walked into his house shortly after he arrived because I usually like to take a picture of the children soon after they arrive. I was shocked at his size and had to ask the house mothers again about his age because he was so tiny.

His mother could not or would not care for him any longer, so she dropped him off with her sister and disappeared. Her sister did not know how to care for him, lacked the resources to care for him, or just did not care and left him to starve. I do not know how he got to the hospital but thankfully he did and DSW decided to place him here at Beautiful Gate.

My head knows that this is the best place for him and that he can become well and grow healthy and happy, but my heart is aching for the life he had to endure for the first 5 years of his life. I am unable to separate my mother heart from situations like this and it is so hard to imagine his fear, his pain, his unfulfilled desire to be loved, and all the other thoughts and feelings he has endured in his life.

We took Mercy and our volunteers along with a few staff and we circled around him and prayed for him. As I prayed for his healing, peace from painful memories, protection from life- long health complications, and many more things, tears began to roll down my cheeks. He is so young and innocent and this is such an unfair start to life.

I am putting this picture in so you can see the severity of his lack of nutrition and care. According to American standards, Mercy is an average child of average height and weight and she is one and a half years younger than him! Please pray for him with us because he needs God’s healing and loving arms around him.

Catching up

2012-02-21T13:33:00.005-05:00

I do not think I realized how much I missed the BG kids while we were away on our vacation. The last few days I have been sneaking out as much as my kids will allow so I can take their pictures, cuddle with them, play with them and read them books. I also spent some time in 2 of the houses catching up with the house mothers and it felt really good. They seemed to enjoy our catching up time as much as I did which really gave me a feeling of peace as if I am finally building some trust and relationships. We are not only here to bless the children but also to bless the staff in any way we can and taking the time to find out how they are and how things are going in their life is one small way we can show we care.

It is so hard to believe that we have been here over a year now and as I looked around at the children in playgroup this afternoon, I realized how many new faces I see and how many old faces I am missing. There have been so many children who have been adopted or reunited with their families in the last year and so many new kids that we are building relationships with. Reflecting on their stories and seeing where God is leading their lives has been encouraging. I also find that God has given me a heart to keep on loving the new kids as much as the ones who have left. There was a time that I did not think my heart could keep opening up and letting more kids in because it can hurt too much when they leave, but as I play with the kids and tickle and hug them, I just can't help but to fall in love with each and every one :)
Have a blessed day!
Anita

Our Addo Adventures

2012-02-18T12:44:00.012-05:00

We are back from our holiday! A day late due to some unexpected car problems on Faith's birthday.

We went to the ocean on Monday the 13th and enjoyed our morning swimming and collecting shells and then we drove into Addo in the evening to see some wildlife.

Tuesday was Faith's birthday so we went to the Danielle Cheetah Breeding Project and had a great tour. Ola the 5 year old Cheetah was awake and playful and the kids were in their glory! They also had 7 week old lion cubs which we got to pet and hold. As we got in the truck and started it to head to the reptile center as phase 2 of Faith's birthday, the truck stopped running and then wouldn't start again. After several hours of sitting and waiting and a couple trips for the local mechanic to get some tools, it was deemed that we needed a new fuel pump and we got a ride back to our cabin, and were left with no car and very little to eat (we were at a self-catering cabin and had not purchased many groceries yet, oops). So Faith's birthday was a little disappointing, but we enjoyed some yummy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner, played on the playground near our cabin, and Faith opened presents :)

Wednesday we were still without a car and the owners of the place we were staying allowed us to use their pool for the day, so that was a big blessing for the kids. We managed to get our car back at 3pm, but the bill was so high we had to drive the mechanic to the ATM ( we were thankful to get our car back, just shocked by the price of it!!!). The kids were dissapointed because we couldn't get to the reptiles as the reptile center was closed, but we took Faith out for her birthday dinner a day late and the food and view were wonderful.

Thursday we went to Addo in the morning and saw a ton of elephants (well, maybe it was only about 30) and even got to see 2 lions. We sat by the lions for a long time because they were at a watering hole and it was like watching animal planet. We saw a big bull elephant chase them away from the watering hole and after he left, the lions came back near the watering hole. Then 2 cape buffalo came for a drink and caught sight of them and one of the buffalo ran up to them and began to chase them away into the woodlands. It was amazing to watch the animals interacting. We then took an afternoon break and headed to see the reptiles that Faith had been waiting all week to see. We learned a lot about snakes and held a lot of them too!

Friday we were suppose to check out and head back to Lesotho, but after the car issues and the lost day, we decided to drive to East London, South Africa and stay one more night. We went to a small aquarium and then spent the evening at the ocean jumping in the waves. It was the perfect end to our vacation and we made some great memories with Bryan's parents.

Off to celebrate Faith :)

2012-02-11T14:43:00.003-05:00

We are in the final stretch of time with Bryan's parents so we are going on our 2nd vacation/holiday in order to celebrate Faith's 7th birthday. She requested that we visit the reptile sanctuary and Cheetah breeding farm where we took Laury and her friend Nancy in September. So, tomorrow we are headed out to Port Elizabeth for a few days. We will be returning on Friday so there will be no posts till Friday or Saturday.

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day everyone and Happy Anniversary Amy and Andy. Also, we would like to wish a Happy Birthday to Uncle Rick, Uncle Bob, and Olivia.
Have a blessed week,
Anita and family!

Supporting Beautiful Gate

2012-02-09T14:05:00.002-05:00

Bryan has booked all his flights and is working with a few specific friends of ours to set up speaking engagements, etc and will be headed to North America to do his first fundraising trip. He will be in West Michigan from March 4 - March 14th then flying to Chino/Redlands California on the 14th. He will be staying there until the 21st of March and then on the 22nd of March he is headed to Vancouver, Canada until March 29th at which time he will return to Lesotho (the 31st). If you are interested in seeing him or hearing him speak, I'll try to post where he will be as we get closer to his departure.

A few prayer requests would be that God will move in the hearts of those Bryan will speak to and they will feel lead to support Beautiful Gate through prayers, volunteering, and/or financial support. Pray that God will use Bryan as His tool to share the hope and love of Beautiful Gate and that He will fill Bryan with wisdom and discernment. We thank God for those who are helping him with his travel plans and finding him places to stay and ask that God will bless all those who are helping with planning and opening their homes.

The kids and I regret that we will not be able to join Bryan on this trip as we would all love to go and see family and friends and adoptive parents who have come through in the last year, but it would not be financially responsible for all 5 of us to go (bummer). So, please pray for the 4 of us as we remain in Lesotho. Pray for the kids especially as their grandparents are leaving on February 29th after 2 months of living with us here in Lesotho and then their daddy will be traveling starting on March 3rd! Yikes, our timing could have been better, but God is faithful and He will see us through this time apart. Thank you for your love and prayers and especially thank you to those of you who will be seeing Bryan in the next month and making him welcome!

Once we get closer to his departure, I'll also try to post the information for sponsor a house for those of you who may be interested, but may not live in the areas where Bryan will be speaking.

Silly to Serious

2012-02-04T15:56:00.005-05:00

Today a funny mix up of words lead me to thinking about Lesotho's government in a new light. To give a little back story, this week Bryan went to a meeting with the Department of Health and Social Welfare. During this meeting, he became a bit frustrated because he heard a lot of really big words, but no conclusions. No action plans to try to fix the problems in Lesotho. The government recognizes areas that are lacking, but it seems that they lack the resources or planning to fix or prevent some of these problems. So they have meetings to discuss these problems, but they do not make the plans to fix them, or they fix something which is not the root of the problem.

Well, today I had a terrible headache and looked through the first aid kid for some pain medicine. I found some Motrin and when Bryan asked me if I found something for my headache, I told him that I took 2 Imodium. He began to laugh and asked if I really took Imodium which is for diarrhea instead of pain medicine. I also laughed and said, no I took Motrin but said the wrong name of the medicine. Then I laughed about how silly it would have been if I would have switched those 2 medicines, it would not have hurt me too much but it certainly would not have fixed my problem either :)

I began to reflect for a minute and I said that my mix up reminded me of Lesotho. This perplexed Bryan, which I understand, so I told him that I feel like Lesotho has some real pains in some areas and rather than getting the proper "medicine," they use the wrong medicine to treat their problems. They recognize that lack of proper nutrition, proper health care, and lack of education are hurting their country, but it seems they only have the resources to fix something else which does not even relate to these 3 areas. (I know that this is not entirely true and that they are trying, it just gets discouraging to us sometimes). Pray with me for their wisdom and initiative to find ways to bring healing and wholeness to Lesotho. Pray they will find ways to reverse all the talk of Lesotho being a 4th world country with no hope for it's future generations. We know there are those who are in the government who care deeply for Lesotho and those who are hurting and we pray that God will use them to create change. With God, all things are possible and He can reverse the poverty, poor health and lack of education. We are trusting Him and His plan for Lesotho!

Adoptive mother's heart

2012-01-30T14:42:00.003-05:00

I was catching up on facebook and a post from my friend Julie Meyaard caught my eye. Julie is a friend from my church back in Michigan and she has 6 amazing biological children and 1 amazing adopted daughter from Ethiopia. I remember a conversation we had once, when volunteering in the church nursery, about her adoption ( before I ever knew God was going to call our family to Lesotho to be very involved in adoptions ourselves ). Seeing the joy on her face and the love in her eyes, I knew adoption was as much a gift to her family as it was a gift to this sweet young girl from Ethiopia. While God has not called us specifically to adopt and add to our family at this point, He has given us a heart for adoption and a great love of bringing families together. For the next 4 years, Bryan and I will be witnessing God's beautiful plan for many families who are waiting to bring a special child/children into their family. So these are the words of my friend...

As I watched another adoption video today with tears streaming down my cheeks I wondered how it appeared to those who had not walked the journey of adoption in their own lives. Does it look fake...the matching adoption tshirts, the picture of a multi-cultural family with big smiles at the airport? Let me assure you there is a ton of PAIN in it all....the beautiful piece is what God does through adoption. He takes the broken hearted and heals their hurt. This is not to say that parenting a hurting child will ever be easy but the blessings far outweigh tears. The freedom of letting go of what you thought(or maybe others think) your family should look like and filling it with the children that God chose for you is overwhelming beautiful.

Adoption is an act of love, and I can tell you that these children are worth it. I know the children at Beautiful Gate so well and I see their faces each day and just wish for them to be with their new family. I used to be a little afraid of adoption because I feared the unknown, but now I see the kids each day and think how ridiculous my fear was. They are kids... they are JUST LIKE MY KIDS! They cry when they hurt, they laugh when something is funny, they love to be held and tickled, they want to be hugged and kissed, they love to run and play, they like to learn new things, they test boundaries, and most of all they want to be loved and know that they matter to someone. The only difference between them and my kids is that my kids have parents and the kids here are wishing they did. May God show each of us His plan for our families and may we be fully open to His perfect plan!
Anita

Mercy's vacation

2012-01-28T12:37:00.008-05:00

Mercy is going to tell you about her trip to Kruger National Park!

"I got to see a spotted hyena, a leopard, an elephant, a hippopotamus, a rhino, a zebra, a crocodile, a giraffe, a chameleon, a lion, a cape buffalo, a wildebeest and lots of different kinds of deer, like impala. Um, at Kruger Park I saw lots of animals and it took a lot of time and I even had to sleep in the car. It was fun and scary and I was really tired. We stayed at Hazyview Cabanas and it was really fun there. I got to swim there. I rode on an elephant and it was really fun. I got to rode on the biggest elephant and his name was Tempo. He was really bumpy and it was my first time riding an elephant. Not for Elijah and Faith because they got to ride one at the circus once. He did not get to eat because he wasn't hungry. I feeded him when we were about to ride him. He ate tiny pills (actually large pellets but small when compared to an elephant's trunk).
Goodbye - Mercy"

We are home again ;)

2012-01-27T14:33:00.002-05:00

We just arrived home from our week away at Kruger and we had an amazing trip. Right now, we are all exhausted after a long drive in a hot car (no AC all week as it broke right before our trip) and I have lots of unpacking to do, so the pics and stories will have to wait till tomorrow, but I wanted to let all our family and friends know that we are home safely. Sleep well my friends, I know we all will!!!!

Packing then off to Kruger National Park

2012-01-19T09:33:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone!
I just want to update you that we will be leaving for a family vacation early tomorrow morning (1/20) and we will be gone until the 27th of January and I do not think I will have Internet access where we are staying so I will not be posting until the 28th (at the earliest). I just wanted to let you all know so that you do not wonder where we are or think something bad has happened ;) since we will not be posting.
We are headed to Kruger National Park and really looking forward to some family time. Just us and Bryan's parents and I don't think we have had a week off in 2 years as the year before we came we were busy fundraising and we have been here for a little over a year. We are looking forward to relaxing, spotting animals, swimming in a few pools, and just growing closer as a family with no interruptions from work, etc. Not that our work is bad in any way, but I think it will do our hearts good to be somewhere else for a week and for Bryan and the kids to have more time together! Have a GREAT week!
Anita

Party Time!

2012-01-18T15:11:00.002-05:00

Today was a special day for 3 of our little BG kids. Over a year ago, there was a local volunteer who would make birthday cakes for the children. She injured her knee and had to stop volunteering so I never was able to witness a birthday party here at Beautiful Gate for one of our orphans. After having a year of adjusting to the culture, teaching my kids, and balancing the chaos that is my new life living here ;), I have decided to take up cake making for birthdays. I wish I had taken a class on cake decorating when I was still in America, but there is no time like the present and if you have a website with ideas and how to's, please feel free to share those with me!!!!!

My friend Donna made cake for one baby house and I made a cake for the other. We sang Happy Birthday (in English because I still have not had someone teach it to me in Sesotho), had them blow out their candles and handed out cake. There were 2 girls and 1 boy who had birthdays this month so the 2 girls celebrated together in one baby house. I put butterfly wings on them and some feather head dresses (interesting mix but TIA). They were all smiles and had a lovely time, and by the time all the singing was done, there was not much left of their candles when it came time to blow them out!

I then went over to the other baby house and got all the kids together in a group and put a feather head dress on the boy who was celebrating his birthday. We had him sit in a little chair and sang to him. I felt bad for him because he looked scared :( I do not think he has ever had people sing and make him the center of attention, and once we were done, he seemed a little more at ease. I gave him a great big hug and kiss, and I think he will be more prepared for his new family at his next birthday.

It was fun to do something "normal" today for the BG kids. A day where they are singled out and important. They can dress up and get an extra big piece of cake because today, it is their special day. There are so many times I think to myself, "What if Elijah, Faith or Mercy were orphans and what would I want people to do for them?" And then it is easy to prioritize the BG kids and do extra things for them, like making birthday cakes each month! I am enjoying my role as their Aunt who spoils them a little till Mommy and Daddy can come and take them home ;)
Have a blessed day,
Anita

She is better!

2012-01-16T13:51:00.002-05:00

I'll keep this short as I am tired. After 3 nights of not sleeping well due to Faith's high fevers, I think she is getting better and now I am ready to sleep a whole night through ;) Yesterday I took her to the hospital due to a rash that developed and then she began throwing up. Doctor had no idea what was causing her high fever but gave me a broad spectrum antibiotic in hopes that it would fix it. It took a few hours to get her to take her first dose as she was very nauseous, but I think it is just what she needed. She woke up feeling pretty good with her head hurting "just a crack bit" in her words! She was great all day and the fever and headaches did not return! Yeah! Thank you God! And thank you for praying with us for her healing.
Good Night,
Anita

Sleepless Night

2012-01-14T15:11:00.003-05:00

Last night was a very bad and sleepless night for me. I will tell you one of the hardest things about being in Maseru is the lack of good and trustworthy health care options. Faith was feeling bad in the early afternoon and then began to have headaches and neck pain at the base of her head. Her temperature began to rise and when I gave her ibuprofen, it just kept on rising. It hit 104 F/39.8 C as bedtime neared and I had given her both Ibuprofen and Tylenol. My friend Donna, who is a pediatric nurse (and a major blessing) gave me some advice about what I should do if it got any higher or if it was still very high in the morning. So I went to bed with thoughts and fears of meningitis on my mind. I tried to be brave and prayed God's healing over her, but I was terrified that she would get worse.

If she worsened I would have to get her in the car, cross the border into South Africa, and drive her 2 hours to the hospital that would be able to treat her the best. I did not sleep much at all and was up many times checking her temperature. God was very gracious and her temperature went back to 99.4 by morning. It did get worse again this afternoon and went back up to 102.2, but with both medications going, it is staying controlled.

For me, being a mother in a 3rd world country and having my kids get sick is a real fear. In Zeeland,I was so comfortable to call my doctors or take my kids in whenever I felt they needed to be looked at and it was a 10 minute drive and I trusted the doctors and nurses. God has been very gracious and given me a great friend and resource in Donna or I would be a basket case at times ;) It is also a huge blessing to have my mother-in-law here as she is also a nurse and we can bounce ideas off each other. She can keep me calm if I am worried or she can verify that I have reason to worry.

At this point we will keep an eye of Faith tomorrow and if the fever returns we will seek medical care, so please pray that she is feeling better and that this is not a serious illness. More that likely it is just a virus but she has no cold or flu-like symptoms, just head and neck pains, and a fever. Thank you for your prayers for my little sweetie.
Anita

Special Day

2012-01-11T01:52:00.003-05:00

Wow, yesterday was a really special day. We had 2 couples who adopted their children and it was a milestone for Beautiful Gate in that one couple adopted their son from us 3 years ago and is the first couple to come back and add another Beautiful Gate child to their family. Seeing their joy and tears and hearing them choked up while expressing their thankfulness was touching, but also seeing the faces of the staff at seeing one of their boys being loved and well cared for over the past 3 years, was amazing too.

Another part of the ceremony that was special to Bryan and I was that the first child who came into Beautiful Gate after we moved here, was joining his family as well. We watched him from the time he was only about a week old until this past week when he left for bonding and it blessed us to watch him join his new Mom and Dad. He was happy and doing great and I could tell by their looks and actions that they were totally in love with him.

For those of you who were nervous on my behalf, I survived running my first adoption ceremony. I was a bit nervous, but it helped that both couples had visited the week prior for a tour and one couple came for dinner so I was more comfortable than if it had been total strangers ;)Praying God gives me the grace to continue in this role as needed, but I will be very happy when our social worker will be back to running them when she returns from her vacation/holiday.

The final thing I wanted to share was a very new experience for me. All the staff are in a first aid training this week and we had a new child brought in from DSW. Our social worker asked if I would admit the new baby as she had to get to the training. I have never admitted a child and the social worker who brought her had never filled out the forms, but we managed our way through the forms and then I was given the honor of naming the little girl. In honor of my dear friend, Lori, I named the child after the girl they loved and had to let go when they were in Lesotho. It is a beautiful name with a very special meaning and I was amazed how sacred that moment was to me. Holding a new born child and choosing her name as if she were my own. I did not know how emotional it was to receive a child and take that first responsibility for them, other than when I delivered my own 3 children. I felt like it was a holy moment between God and myself and I committed to care for her, love her, and help her grow until He brings the family He has already picked out for her. I am in awe of the huge responsibility He has entrusted Bryan and I with and pray He continues to give us the wisdom and justice to see it through.

Malealea Outing

2012-01-07T13:31:00.007-05:00

We decided we had better head off campus for a day of sightseeing for Bryan's parents after our fun but busy week (sorry to miss you though Katie). We took them to Malealea Lodge as we took a trip there in the winter and it was so beautiful. When we left last winter, we all talked about how much fun it would be to take Oma and Papa there.

Last night I told the kids we were going and they were thrilled and began to talk excitedly about what color horse they wanted, etc. We left early this morning and when we arrived we signed up for the 2-3 hour pony trek where you take a break after the first hour and take a steep hike to some bushman paintings. It was so scenic and a great opportunity to see the true rugged beauty of the Lesotho mountains. The hike to the paintings was a bit difficult at times, but a very cool opportunity to see some real cave drawings as it is something we learned about in art class last semester. It was such a nice family day and I am thankful that we had the opportunity to spend quality time with the kids doing something they LOVE.

The kids are getting ready for the big ride - Safety first ;)
Elijah and Faith are ready to go. All 3 of them have a helper who will walk their horse.
Here we go leaving the Lodge and heading out into the great outdoors, surrounded by mountains.
We all decided that Mercy is a natural at riding. She was so comfortable in the saddle.
Here is a picture of some cave drawings. There are not many at these caves, but it was worth seeing.

Anita

What day is it??!!

2012-01-06T07:06:00.003-05:00

Okay, I honestly keep forgetting what day it is...I am going to attempt to recount my week as best I can, but I am sure I'll forget some things.
Tuesday began with an adoption ceremony at 10:30am. The night before, BG's social worker told me that she wants me to start doing the adoption ceremonies in case she is unable to attend due to being on leave or at a meeting, etc. I was unprepared for this request and told her that I will watch her a few more times and then I will give it a try. For those of you who know me, I am not a public speaker nor am I comfortable even in small group settings, so I will be getting stretched again. After the ceremony, I walked around with the new family and talked with them for a bit. We also had a 3 week old baby dropped off. He was found on the side of the road somewhere. It was special to see how happy his house mother was to hold him and welcome him to her family.

Wednesday Bryan with the nurse and social worker went to the hospital to see a new child who might be coming to BG. She has a lot of special needs that will require extra care. It looks like she will be coming, maybe next week. The doctors were very concerned that she find a place to go as growing up in the hospital is not much of a quality of life for her and her parents have stopped coming to visit.
I was out playing with the BG kids and we had unexpected visitors, who happen to attend our church. Bryan and Laury were busy so I gave them a tour and took in some donations they brought. It was a nice visit as they had never been to BG and hearing their perspective was encouraging. I also spent a lot more time in the baby houses and with the play group since we are not having school this week.

Thursday was just busy! We had 6, yes 6 kids brought in from social welfare and it was crazy. 4 of them were tiny babies less than a month, we also got a 1 year old and a 7 year old. The house mothers were shouting and trilling with excitement as each kid came and they were all hoping to get one of the tiny babies ;) During this excitement I also got to give a tour to the new parents of the first little boy who came to BG after Bryan and I moved here. We watched him grow over the last year and now he is with his mom and dad and it was very special. We also had our friend, Nthabasang over for dinner (volunteer from the Netherlands) so my in laws could pepper her with questions before they travel there on their way back to the US.

Today we had the adoption ceremony for 2 more children and I had my pastor stop by unexpectedly so it was a very busy morning and I had no choice but to do a little talking at the ceremony as Bryan was gone at a court hearing. I showed one of the families the houses that their son was raised in and then hurried home to check on my kids. Tonight we will also be having another adoptive family over for dinner and we are excited to see how they are bonding.

God brought my Mother and Father in law here at the perfect time as this has been the busiest week I think we have had a BG and it was hard to keep track of my kids during all these visits, tours, and adoptions! Bryan and I keep looking at each other and asking which day it is and what we have going on because it has been busy! I guess the rest and relax post was not really true, hahaha. It is busy but it is a blessing to be a part of it all here at BG.
Sorry I did not get a post out sooner for those who check often!
Anita

Free Time

2012-01-02T02:32:00.002-05:00

Bryan's parents arrived on Friday Dec 30 and so we will be taking some time to enjoy the sights of Lesotho and South Africa with them over the next 2 months. Bryan is going to work this week as we have 5 adoptions that should be happening this week (children are already bonding with their parents). Oma, Papa, and I are taking the kids to the river this morning so they can jump and play in the sand. We will be taking this week off from school so we can enjoy "Grandparents Week" and then we will do school off and on depending on when we travel with their grandparents.

It is such a blessing to have them here. I have heard many times that returning home will be way more of an adjustment than when we arrived here in Africa. So, the more friends and family we have who come and visit us, the more people we will have who will understand us when we return home. They are happy to see the people, buildings, and sights that they have heard us talking about for over a year. And now that they will be here for 2 months, they will have a real opportunity to experience the culture as well as our dialy ups and downs. I praise God for this opportunity for our family to grow even closer during this time and there are really no words to describe the happiness I see in my 3 children as they play with, cuddle with, and show their grandparents around campus.
Thanking God for His timing and gift of family,
Anita

God heard our prayers...

2011-12-28T14:53:00.002-05:00

Last month I asked for prayer as we have over 20 children who are placed, but they have been stuck here longer than necessary. Well, God heard these prayers and He is moving kids to their new adoptive families and reuniting others with extended family. Currently we have 5 children who are bonding with their new families. 1 going to America, 1 to the Netherlands, 1 to Sweden and 2 to Canada. We also have one of our oldest girls who will be moving to her grandmother's home and another little boy who will be rejoining his family ( since asking for prayer we have 7 either adopted or in process and 7 who are reunited or going soon). God has answered our prayers in a huge way, and I am so grateful to Him as we have very happy families and we have more space in our homes for those children in Lesotho who need it.

With this joy of answered prayer comes one more request for prayer. The last month has had many children leaving for adoption and reunification and our house mothers are feeling the pain of loss. With the adoptions, they feel mostly happy because they know their children will be happy, but they will miss their children. With reunification come sadness as some kids are returning to the same people who abandoned them or let them get so sick that they almost died. When the social welfare department decides a child needs to return home, it may not always be in the best interest of the child and it leaves these mothers with a lot of anxiety and pain for the children they have loved and cared for. Please pray for these house mothers to find peace and healing and pray for the children who are returning home. Pray that God will protect them, guide them, provide for their needs, and that they will feel love, and also that if this new situation is not safe, that He will bring them somewhere safe.
Thanks again for your prayers as we are seeing the evidence of them!
Anita

Merry Christmas to All!!!

2011-12-25T08:33:00.008-05:00

Here is a picture of our staff Christmas lunch. They cooked some chicken on the Braai (grill), made papa, chakalaka with baked beans, and cut up some watermelon. Not your typical Christmas feast, but it is summer here and grilling was nice ;)

The staff are busy inspecting what is in their new bags.

Last night Bryan and I delivered the Christmas gifts for each house. This was the pile for Pula 2, plus a walker and some blocks which were not in the picture. There was also a second gift for all the children who are over the age on 1 because we had several people bring gifts Friday and Saturday, so after wrapping 60 presents earlier in the week, I got to wrap 50 more yesterday ;) whew. We also had a box of candy canes, a card, and 24 cupcakes for each house as a gift as well.

Christmas breakfast of french toast and hot chocolate with whipped cream (I found some at the store for the first time and we HAD to buy it) with some sprinkles.

Here is a picture just for my friend Donna, She gave them all a special present with a special peg that she had made for each kid. Thanks Donna and see... I did not forget the pegs!

This picture is priceless...when you go shopping and you find that gift that you just know they will love and then they actually DO love it and show it...priceless!! Faith your expressions are the best and I love you. Thanks for letting me post this ;)
Merry Christmas from Africa to all our friends around the world! Thank you Jesus for being our best gift ever.
Anita

Staff Christmas

2011-12-21T14:12:00.002-05:00

We celebrated Christmas with all our staff today and it was a great celebration. We all did a little to make the day successful so it was relaxing and fun to have a few hours to share a meal and be thankful for the staff God has placed at Beautiful Gate as well as for them to be thankful that God has provided them a job. We had many donations come in over the past year so we saved up the items until we had enough for all the staff. Today we gave them all a nice blue bag, a notepad, notebook, hand cream, and the women received a few gold pins.

Bryan and I decided a few months ago to start putting aside some extra money so we could give them all a Christmas bonus of M100. The budget at BG has been very tight and we knew they would not be getting a bonus of money, yet we felt they deserve it for all their hard work and gentle care for the children here. As we put aside money, we had a few people also send money to BG to be split between the staff and the children and just yesterday we were told of another M9000 coming to be used for the staff and kids so between all these, we were able to give the staff each M200 (M8000 total for the 40 staff).

I did not get to stay and watch the staff receive their gifts as Laury, Nthabaseng (volunteer from Netherlands) and I went into the baby houses so all of the staff could be together. I heard a lot of clapping and yelling and Bryan told me that many of the women took out their cash and started fanning themselves with it while talking excitedly. Our staff work so hard and have so little, yet they just smile so much and really know how to celebrate and thank God for their blessings, whether big or small. Today I was once again reminded that it truly is better to give than to receive. Thank you to those who have shared so generously with us because you have helped us to share with our amazing staff here at Beautiful Gate!
God Bless You,
Anita

Thoughts from our Kids

2011-12-18T09:06:00.003-05:00

Mercy says, "I love Gracey and also Laura and Anni, Bonnie, Charoli, Matt, M'e Laury, Ntate Allan and M'e Donna. I want to say good-bye to the Australian Team and to Ntate Allan and M'e Donna for a few weeks. I played a board game, played ponies with Anni, and I watched the suuuuunset. I am looking forward to Christmazsssssssssssssssssssssssssss. My Grandpa and Grandma are coming and I am so happy. (I let Mercy type several words herself!).
Merry Christmas - goodbye"
Mercy

Elijah says, "We just had some people leave today and we are quite sad, but it is also fun because now we can have family time. Yesterday night we went to see a sunset and it was awesome. We played with our friends, a game that you claimed things as your own and then you could do whatever you wanted before someone else did it. There were 2 people per team (a friendlier form of king of the mountain?). Then exactly at the end of the sunset, Henry and I were using rocks as fake money to buy mountains. Then we went home, but before we went home we had ice cream, and boy was it good. I am looking forward to when Oma and Papa come because it will be a blast! We are going to take them to a lion park and to pet a cheetah, hopefully and to the beach and to an elephant park and back to Lesotho and to the river and then to home. (he has a lot of plans doesn't he!). Thanks for reading my paragraph."
Elijah

Faith says, "I miss my family and it has been such a great time here. I think it would be great for all of you to come to Africa. Fresh air, nice animals, and awesome awesome fun. I am having the most funnist time in all my life in Africa. I loved seeing the black-backed jackal in September when we went on a safari. I love love love love love you so much. Love my family!"
From Faith Geurink

While Faith's post was very upbeat, she is very sad because she made a great friend from the Australian team and they had such fun for 3 weeks and her friend left today which has left Faith pretty sad. She could use some prayer as she seems to struggle a lot with homesickness and then having her African friends coming and going (volunteers, BG kids, and Missionary families). Bryan and I worry that she might decide not to keep reaching out to these new friends because it hurts too much as she has a very sensitive heart. Thank you for your prayers for our family!

Bittersweet Day

2011-12-13T14:40:00.003-05:00

I was a bit too tired to blog last night but wanted to share about our day. It was a bittersweet kind of day. The morning was the bitter part. The management team decided a few months ago to shut down the preschool here on grounds for many good reasons, but with that decision came the unfortunate job of letting some of the staff go. There is one staff that I admire greatly who is a preschool teacher and we had her farewell yesterday. She is a woman who shines the love of Jesus so brightly that you can feel it. Her love and admiration for children is an example to other staff. Her smile and ever ready singing brighten every one's day. Her attitude and perseverance are admirable too and it saddened my heart that we had to let her leave Beautiful Gate. I wanted to share my thoughts with her and give a little speech, but I had a lump in my throat and tears streaming down my cheeks (I know that seems to be an everyday occurrence for me now doesn't it!). I went home and wrote her a letter about how special I think she is and I am praying a new position will open up soon so she can work at Beautiful Gate again.

The sweet part of my day was when 3 Swedish families showed up to pick up their new children for bonding. It was beautiful as usual to see their anxious expressions as they waited for their children to arrive then change to huge smiles as they were handed their daughters (all 3 couples got girls which is highly unusual). I took pictures for one couple and then left the room so they could bond.
I went home to prepare lunch for my kids and then heard Elijah yelling into the kitchen that someone was at our house. I went to the door and there was one of the girls who was being adopted (about 3 years old). Her new parents asked her to show them where her house was and she brought them to my house. I know that she KNOWS where her house is and found it really sweet that she brought them to my house ;) She is one of the little girls who yells M'e Anita every time she sees me and wants me to play, and I guess she wanted to make sure she got to say good-bye or wanted me to meet her parents. Whatever the reason, I was touched that she came to see me and then I walked her parents to her real house ;)

God is in the process once again of moving kids around. These 3 left for bonding yesterday and a new little girl moved in. Plus we had the other 2 kids we were expecting move in last week. We had one girl go home with her aunt last Friday and another little girl go to her grandmother's house yesterday. I am guessing that December is going to be a busy month with adoptions and a few older BG kids being reunited with family, so hopefully there will be many happy Christmas celebrations coming up!
May God bless you as you take time to think of Him during this busy holiday season!
Anita

Two Reasons To Live In Africa (or visit)!!

2011-12-08T12:05:00.003-05:00

My shortest blog post yet!!!! :)
Bryan

Divine Appointment

2011-12-07T02:40:00.001-05:00

Today, I left the house at 5:50am so I could meet with my friend Donna and go for a walk. She is usually quite punctual, but I did not see her at our usual meeting spot. I decided to walk to her house and see if she was coming out of her gate. As I turned down the dirt road to get to her house, I passed a woman who had a heavy backpack, and 3 heavily loaded bags that she was carrying. We glanced at each other and when I saw her face I could tell she was struggling. She said to me, “M’e I am not well. I am just not well.” I asked her if I could pray for her and she said yes and laid all her heavy bags in the dirt road and I put my hand on her shoulder and prayed for her. As soon as I finished, I realized that I was not meant to go walking, but I was meant to carry some of her burdens home so I grabbed a few of her bags and started walking with her. She was so grateful and kept thanking me for praying and for carrying her bags. She said she knew God was making her better and that she was feeling better already.

As we walked I asked her what her name was and where she was coming from. She said her name was Patricia and she was gone for a week trying to sell things that she had sewn. She was such a sweet woman and she told me that she loved me and was happy that I was her new friend. She showed me her house which was a very small 2 room cinder block home and invited me in. I brought in her bags and met her daughter who had been sleeping on a blanket on the kitchen floor. They were both very sweet and Patricia told me that she would like me to come visit sometime, and although I am a bit nervous to ever invite myself to someone’s home, I really felt God pushing me along and I think I will visit her.

I got home and found out from Bryan that Donna had sent a text last night saying she would not be walking this morning and I just smiled. God had a divine appointment for me this morning and I couldn’t be happier that I missed the text. So often I am just too busy and have my day too scheduled to catch these moments that God is just waiting to give me. I think I needed to remember that today. So I will leave you with the words of Jesus today because when I helped this woman with her physical burdens, the gratitude and relief she expressed was so heartfelt and I think, if we lay our burdens at the feet of Jesus, wouldn’t we feel that relief and gratitude as well. I am feeling a gentle nudge from God to lay my burden for “my boys” at His feet. I will keep praying for them but I am ready to lay my burden of worry at the cross!

Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
May God give you all a divine appointment this week as well!
Anita

1 YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-12-04T12:49:00.005-05:00

Wow, 1 year. Sometimes it feels like it flew by. Other times it feels like we have been in Lesotho for such a long time. But it was exactly one year ago that we were in the airport for the agonizing good-bye to our family and friends. I still remember that I was "okay" until all of them circled around us and began to pray for us and then the tears flowed freely...I actually think it was when my mother-in-law, Mary blessed us that I cried (thanks mom, it was a special blessing). Mercy was shocked to see me crying so she walked over to the chair where her stuffed animal Kody was and handed him to me. She asked why I was crying and I said it was because I was going to miss my family and friends and then like only a 3 year old can, she said, "Mom, I'll be your friend in Africa." And she has ;)

Today, as we remembered our feelings of last December 4, I decided that we should make today a fun day. We have begun to call ourselves American Africans and so we thought that we would celebrate our first year as American Africans and take the kids swimming. We went to the pool at the Maseru Sun for Faith's birthday last year and surprised the kids by taking them back today for some fun in the water! They were very thankful and thought it was a great way to spend the day.

The hotel also had an outdoor chess game board that the kids thought was super cool. What kid wouldn't love to play with chess pieces that are half their size. Elijah and Bryan will have to play against each other sometime, but today it was a bit busy at the pool and by the chess board.
Thank you so much for following our journey this past year and feeling empathy with us as we have gone on many ups and downs, and for your many heartfelt prayers during some struggles that just took our breath away. Thank you for your comments on this blog as well as countless emails. We have felt your love and support carrying us through and encouraging us along. Also, many of you are sacrificing financially by supporting us each month, quarter, or annually. We are not yet fully funded for our next 4 years, but because of your love and dedication to us and Beautiful Gate, we are confident that God will provide for us. If you have only recently begun to follow our blog and would like to contribute to our fund, we would be very appreciative. We are missionaries/volunteers here at Beautiful gate and are not paid which is why we are in the process of continuing to raise funds to cover our next 4 years.

Mail the funds to:
AFBGI
C/O Danell Czarnecki for Geurink Missionary Fund
6950 Edison Avenue
Chino, CA 91710

Once again, thank you for the role you have played in making our first year here in Lesotho at Beautiful Gate, an unforgettable year. Our family has been very blessed!

Blessing to You,

Anita

Brief overview of the last few days

2011-11-29T13:45:00.003-05:00

On Saturday - we celebrated with the older preschool kids as they graduated preschool. They looked very official in their caps and gowns. The girls did a few traditional Basotho dances as did a few of the preschool boys. It was a very nice celebration.

On Sunday - we went to church and then enjoyed the afternoon relaxing and not doing much of anything as we prepared for our team of 13 guests from Australia to arrive on Monday.

On Monday - the boys our family is very close to went back home to their mother. It was heartbreaking to say the least. When the boys got here in August 2009, they were so sick that the staff did not know if they were going to live. Our social worker reminded the mother of the boys circumstances when they arrived and asked her to make sure she cares for them so they never get into those circumstances again. The boys' house mother was literally sobbing and I was not much comfort to her as I cried right beside her. Our social worker has shared too many sad stories of children reunited with their mothers and it has not given me much reason to hope, but I am doing my best to lay them before Jesus because He loves them so much more that I ever could. He will watch over them even when no one else can. He will keep them safe and away from harm because He is their Father, friend, and comforter.

After the boys left, I helped prepare dinner for the Australian team. They arrived just after 6pm and were all VERY tired ;)

Today - I got up at 5:30am and took a walk with Donna and 2 of our team members then was busy the rest of the day with cooking and homeschooling and a little bit of cuddle time with the BG kids and my own.

I feel a bit like I am on auto pilot. I am very busy when there are teams and our new school year has just begun and I am trying not to fall behind. I hope all of the above makes sense as I have been up for too many hours already and don't have the energy to read over what I wrote.
Good night,
Anita

Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T08:16:00.005-05:00

Today, if I were still in Michigan, we would be at my friends Sammy and Eric’s house with their 3 children along with anyone else who needed to have some adopted family to hang out with for Thanksgiving Day. It has been our tradition for most of the 12 years that Bryan and I have been married. However, if I were there, I am pretty sure that my friends would not be in the process to adopt a sibling set from Lesotho (they may have begun the process of adoption but they probably would not have chosen Lesotho), so I am THANKFUL that I am here in Lesotho.

On this holiday in America, we often stuff our faces with all of our favorite foods, sometimes to the point of having a stomach ache. And then we sit and talk with our family and friends and just enjoy our day, being thankful. Today I walked my children to a cemetery where we buried a little girl who had not reached even two months of life. As we walked I saw Elijah grab the hand of the ‘Me’ that this little girl was named after(one of her house mothers) and comfort her as they walked. It brought tears to my eyes and I am THANKFUL that my kids are here in Lesotho.

Today Bryan would usually be sitting on the couch surrounded by his buddies watching football on TV. And then he would be enjoying some of his favorite desserts. Instead he spent the morning preaching his first sermon at a funeral for a precious baby girl. I saw his heart break as we left the cemetery as he had never planned to preach at a funeral, especially that of a little baby. Then later, I listened to him talking and laughing with some of the Basotho men as they enjoyed the lunch “Me’ Mamatela prepared for us after the funeral. I was so proud of him for being strong enough to preach but also knowing how to let go and relax with his co-workers. I am THANKFUL that Bryan is here in Lesotho.

Yesterday, my friend Edward told me that he and his wife were expecting their 3rd child and they were so happy. But, that last Wednesday his wife began to bleed heavily and he rushed her to the hospital and they lost their baby. He said that he is sad and the pain is so much that they will not try for another baby, but then he said that he trusts God and knows that God is in control and he accepts whatever plan God chooses for him. I am amazed by his testimony through the pain, and I am THANKFUL for my 3 healthy children and I am THANKFUL that God has placed us here to be a comfort to our new friends in their many times of hardship. Today I am counting my blessing and I am THANKFUL for the path God has placed us on, even if it hurts sometimes.
Have a blessed and thankful day!
Anita

Yet I will Praise the LORD

2011-11-19T13:49:00.002-05:00

Though there are starving children living next door to me,

Though my son’s best friend is an orphan being raised by his older sister, and often does not have enough food to eat,

Though I do not have enough money to help some of the kids who need it desperately,

Though God has not chosen our family to be a forever family to the boys we love,

Though my heart has more scars in one year than it had in the first 34 put together,

Though God has called home a precious baby girl whom I love dearly,

Yet I will praise the Lord. His name will be praised in all circumstances and I will put my trust in Him because He has good plans for us.

One very important lesson I learned 12 years ago when my sister took her life was that God allows very painful and bad things to happen. He could have stopped her, blocked the lies of satan, and took her out of her desperate situation, but He did not.

God could have healed this baby girl. He could have saved her and allowed her to live long on this earth. Her mother was just about to sign the adoption papers which would have released her for adoption and He could have provided a loving family with a beautiful, sweet baby girl, but He did not.

Who am I to question His plan? In Jeremiah 29:11 God tells us that He has a plan for us and it is not in His plans to harm us. So while this may look like “harm” to our human eyes, God is sitting outside of time and orchestrating something good. I love God with my whole heart and although that heart is still hurting and scarred, it is trusting in Him completely. His love endures forever and I choose to accept His will and plan as I know that He is in control.
Anita

It Hurts

2011-11-16T15:08:00.005-05:00

I don't even know where to start...in some ways I feel numb, but if I were numb, I wouldn't hurt so much. I am in so much emotional pain that I feel like I could vomit at any minute. One of our dear, precious baby girls (here at Beautiful Gate) passed away today, very unexpectedly. She is only a couple months old and was healthy and thriving with no indication of sickness, and now she is gone. Oh, how it hurts. I was just there holding her earlier this week and it doesn't seem real. I was so shocked when I heard of her passing that I went to see her for myself because I just couldn't believe it. There she was wrapped up carefully in a few blankets, but no breath.

I hurt too much to even ask God why.

I hurt so much that my tears are just sitting in my eyes ready to roll down, but they seem stuck.

I want to run away and just sit on a mountain alone.

I thought my heart hurt enough when I found out the boys we love as our own would be leaving this week, but now on the eve of my 35th birthday...I am being forced to say good-bye to a precious girl who never got to see her first.

Anita

Love and Let Go

2011-11-14T14:22:00.002-05:00

Well, in typical God style...He is in the process of answering our prayers but just not in the way we had planned. 2 boys(brothers) from Beautiful Gate are going to be going home to their mother this coming Saturday. She was being treated for mental illness for the past few years and has received a clean bill of mental health from DSW and will now be taking on her responsibilities as a mother again.

When we arrived at Beautiful Gate 11 months ago, all 5 of us fell madly in love with these 2 brothers and as we were unsure of how severe their mother's mental health and knowing they had been at BG for a few years, we began to pray that they might be able to join our family. I found it strange that all 5 of us felt the same way and when the kids would ask me if we could adopt them, I always told them to pray and God would show us. As the months passed, I was becoming more and more convinced that God was going to say yes and had my hopes set higher than I should have. I cannot explain the bond between the 5 of us and the 2 of them but it just felt so right and perfect.

Then I found out their mother was released from the hospital and could come and get them anytime and I had to pray that God would put them in the right and the best place, even if it was not with our family and He is in the process of doing that. Our family will be learning how to love and let go because the best place for these boys is with their mother and we just need to trust that she will be able to maintain good mental health and care for them. Living with 60 kids is dangerous for one's heart and we will just need to be careful with our hearts in the future. So God is clearing out 2 more beds at BG this week for the 3 - 4 kids who are still to come this month and if we can get a few adoptions this month also, then we will be able to save and serve more of God's little ones. God's plans are always perfect and while they may not always be what we pray for and hope for, we just keep trusting that He knows the future of all the BG kids and He will bring them to the right family!
God Bless You All,
Anita

Adoption Prayers

2011-11-10T15:58:00.002-05:00

We are in need of some prayer in the area of adoptions. We have 61 kids and 4 more who will be here by the end of November. We are set up to only have 60 kids and right now, we do not have the funds to open up another baby house so our houses are crowded. This is a huge problem as we want to give the best care to our children and we do not want to over work or over burden our staff. We are to the point of needing to turn away any new referrals for kids, yet we know that Beautiful Gate is the best place for babies and young children in Lesotho who are orphaned or abandoned. We need prayer to know what to do next, and we need extra prayer warriors who can pray for all our pending adoptions.

Currently, we have 23 children who are placed for adoption and a few of them have been placed for about a year now. There are a few new appointed members of government who have really slowed the process of adoption down. Some for good reasons like tightening down on child trafficking, but others for what appears to be power and control more than the benefit of the children. Please pray with me that these adoptions can speed through quickly as then we will not be in our overcrowded situation, the children and families who have been waiting can begin their new life with their forever families, and we will have room to continue taking in new babies and toddlers who need the love, hope and care of Beautiful Gate.

Thank you for your prayers because God is just waiting for us all to ask and we know that He will make it happen!
Anita

Retreat

2011-11-07T14:31:00.002-05:00

I went to a ladies missionary retreat this past weekend. It was just what I needed to refresh my spirit and encourage me as Bryan and I begin our new roles as directors of Beautiful Gate. I discovered that while raising 3 kids and living on-site at an orphanage, I have not had much time to reflect on how I really feel about all the changes in my life over the last 11 months. So, this weekend was a chance for me to do that. Our retreat was held at Wynford Farms in South Africa, located just outside Lesotho and with an amazing view of the surrounding mountains. We worshipped in a chapel with big windows in the front so we could enjoy looking at God's splendid creation while we sang to and talked about Him. I do not know if I have ever had such a relaxing time in my whole life (not to mention eating that much food or consuming that much tea).

I really had to look deep within myself and discovered that I have lost a lot of my joy in the past 11 months. With saying "see you later" to family and friends, moving to a new place, having God change our entire reason for being at Beautiful Gate (from helpers to directors), learning to be a teacher, seeing poverty, hunger, pain, and even experiencing death. I have allowed the worries and doubts of life to steal my joy. I always try to spin things in a positive way if I can, but inside I was feeling hallow, empty, scared. Not the emotions a missionary should be feeling, but nevertheless, feeling discouraged and overwhelmed with the tasks ahead and the thought of balancing my family and our new roles here. But this weekend, I was able to look deeper into those emotions and accept that they are not from God (I knew that before but yet let them linger). He has chosen me as a wife of Bryan, a mother of Elijah, Faith and Mercy, a teacher (homeschool and sunday school), a director's wife, a playmate to 60 Beautiful Gate kids, a supplier of books and toys to the neighbor kids, etc. He trusts that I can do it or He wouldn't have given those roles to me. I do not have to doubt or worry because my Father is in control and will give me what I need, SO it is time to let His joy shine in my heart again. I am no use to my friends, family, husband, kids, etc if I let myself get defeated by satan and lose my joy. My prayer is that I can keep my eyes fixed on Him so that I do not lose my joyfulness again ;)

Tea Party in Africa

2011-11-03T02:39:00.002-04:00

One event each day here in Lesotho that is very different from Michigan is the morning tea time. We did not have such a thing in our day, yet as most kids do, our kids pretended to have tea parties on occasion. They would play dress up and get out their tea set and pour water for each other. Well, a few days ago we got a magazine in the mail (Thanks Nancy for the Kidsclub subscription) and it had a few suggestions for hosting your own tea party with a new friend. Faith and Mercy came running and asked if we could host a tea party. So, we looked over the article and made a plan to invite our friends Donna and Allan over for a tea party (lunch).

So on Tuesday night we made sugar cookies and made them in shapes of leaves for the boys and flowers for the girls. They frosted the cookies themselves and then used candy to make initials on each person's cookie. Then on Wednesday morning the girls (and Elijah too) woke up early and went outside to pick flowers and leaves to decorate the table. They made name tags for each person and decorated those with stickers. As lunch time drew near, they picked some fresh peas from the garden and then helped me roll out pizza dough so we could make special sandwiches for each person. They had so much fun getting ready.

Donna and Allan came before Bryan and Laury got back from work for lunch so Donna and the kids played hide-and-seek for a little while and then we all enjoyed their tea party. It was so sweet so see the joy on their faces as everyone complimented them on such a nice lunch. I think I may be in trouble because they are going to want to have a tea party everyday now! So, now we are have tea time as part of our daily schedule might just have to keep that when we move back to Michigan ;) Hope you enjoyed a story about my girls (and Elijah helped quite a bit too).
Anita
I tried to post a picture but after an hour of waiting for it to upload, I gave up.

Like a Proud Mother

2011-10-30T16:59:00.003-04:00

I had an experience I'd like to share because it was such a good reminder as to why our family is here at Beautiful Gate. When we arrived here is December, there was a little girl here whom we paid special attention to. She was a few months old, but all bones with no muscle tone at all. Her mother suffers from mental illness and though she thought she was feeding her, the baby was not receiving any nutrition. When I tried to put a very small and light weight toy in her hand, her hand would drop down immediately as if the toy weighed 10 pounds. It was sad to see such a fragile little girl. We used to go and take her from her house and bring her to our home for little visits just to make sure she was getting a little extra love and attention, in hopes that she would grow and be healthy.

The other day, I went into her house and offered to help feed the children their lunch. She finished her lunch and then crawled over to the table. I then watched as she stood up and began pushing the little plastic table around on the floor. She was very proud of herself and kept looking over as if to make sure I was watching her. She then got so excited that she let go of the table and as she did she pushed it away a couple inches. She took 2 steps and then grabbed the table again.

I was so happy to watch her taking those first few steps because 10 months ago, she looked like she was skin and bones and now she is healthy, happy and reaching very important milestones. I felt like it was a peaceful sign from God that He had His hand on her the whole time. He knew her mother was not well and that this little girl would find a safe haven here at Beautiful Gate. Moments like this where we see a child come in who is malnourished, under weigh, failing to thrive, etc, yet God brings them to full health and catching up to other kids their age, and we see a glimpse of God's healing power.
Thanks be to God,
Anita

Faith's post about our visitors

2011-10-28T02:21:00.002-04:00

I had fun and Terp (Christina) wanted to play with all the children of Beautiful Gate. She played with me but not as much as she played with the kids at Beautiful Gate. . I wish she would come back and I would go for a big visit. I love you all and I miss you so much that I feel like hugging you and kissing you for all the days of your life. So, I will say to you, you are the best friends I could ask for.
My favorite part about having the MI team here was when Kassidy taught me how to make a twisty bracelet. I miss Kassidy but I had so much fun in Africa that you should come whoever reads our blog. I love everyone and I miss everyone. But you are going to come someday, I know it. Good-bye, I will talk to you maybe tomorrow or even today.
Love,
Faith

Well, you never know what they are going to say, but I try to just let her talk and I write it out. She was very sad when the Haven team and Mary and Rachel left on Monday. Both Mercy and Faith said they wanted to cry as we left the airport. I knew I'd be sad when the team went back but I failed to realize how sad the kids would be. Mercy adopted my friend Lori as a second mother for the 10 days. She would cuddle with her and have her read books and hold her hand when they were walking. It was very sweet. I am thankful that we are not having school for another week or two so we can spend some quality time together. Saying "see you later" is hard but it is so worth the time with friends. I guess having friends come and go and the joy and sadness that goes along with it is just one more unexpected thing for me to teach my kids. God will give us what we need whether we are joyful or sad and we thank Him for the blessing of friends all over the world.
Love,
Anita

We are Official

2011-10-24T15:09:00.002-04:00

Wow, where has the time gone. The last 4 days have gone by as a blur of activity and I did not find a minute for a blog update. I wanted to start out by saying that it is official now. Ray and Sue are moving on to a new season in their lives and have decided to step away from Beautiful Gate as directors and begin a new ministry in Cape Town, South Africa (about 14 hours from Maseru). They have dedicated the last 10 years to making Beautiful Gate the best and most excellent Care Center in Lesotho and they are now entrusting Bryan and I to take over the leadership and care of Beautiful Gate. On Thursday, we had a beautiful retirement party of Ray and Sue and shared a nice dinner with them along with family, friends, and staff. It was a night to honor them for their hard work and perseverance to make Beautiful Gate what it is today.

Friday, we had an open house where over 300 guests were invited to celebrate Beautiful Gate's 10th anniversary. There was singing, dancing, horses, a bouncy house for the BG kids, speeches, and the handing over of leadership. Ray gave Bryan his staff and Basotho blanket as a symbol of this change in leadership and declared Bryan as the new director of Beautiful Gate. Sue handed me a lovely basket of flowers and encouraged me to care for the kids and staff and teased me to maybe even consider adopting a few BG kids into my immediate family like she had. It was very meaningful and a little emotional. I felt a great sense of pride in Bryan as he stood up on the stage ready to take on the next step in Beautiful Gate's future.

One of the most meaningful moments for me was when our new pastor spoke a word over Bryan and I. He reminded us that Jesus was 30 when He began His public ministry, Solomon was 30 when he became king, and Joseph was 30 when he became Pharaoh's right hand man. It was so encouraging and reassuring to me that just because we may appear to be young to be directors of an orphanage, God has chosen us for this ministry. He called us here as we have been hearing over and over for "such a time as this." Please pray for us that we can be bold, true and faithful like Jesus, compassionate and generous like Joseph and wise like Solomon as we walk in faith as the new directors of Beautiful Gate Lesotho.

Staff Gifts

2011-10-19T16:15:00.003-04:00

I do not know if I can even put words to my day. I had the best experience and want to tell you all about it, but you would have had to see and hear it to fully grasp the depth of it. To give you a little back story, my church along with another church donated the 56 boxes on the container that we received in July. In these boxes, there were tons of items for the kids here at Beautiful Gate. So, when the leaders of the mission trip that is here now asked me what they could bring. I suggested that rather than collect a bunch more things for the kids, why not bless the staff instead. The response from the staff was just amazing.

There was a purse/ bag for each staff member and it was filled with items like lotion, gum, combs, shampoo, conditioner and R20. Each staff member was called up to receive their bag and many of them danced up there and made a big deal of their gift. After they had their bags, we pulled out a solar power bible for each staff member and the response was incredible. A group of women jumped up and began a dance and sang praising God while waving their bibles in the air. It was so incredible that it brought tears to my eyes.

When is the last time we received such a small gift and praised God with all our strength and sang and danced before the Lord. It was a holy moment of true worship and I am blessed to have been a part of it. At the end of the celebrating, Christina told them she had one last gift and that gift was Bryan and I. She said that we are family of Haven church and that she wants them to accept us into their Beautiful Gate family. Which of course brought more tears to my eyes as many of the staff came and hugged me and thanked me. It amazes me how grateful they are and is a lesson in gratitude and thankfulness to me.
Have a blessed day,
Anita

Good Devotions

2011-10-17T16:10:00.003-04:00

Today was a blessed day. The Haven team was very busy working, serving, playing and helping and it was good. We came together at the end of the night and Terp read us a devotion from a young woman who is working in Uganda. I loved a comparison that she used about working in a third world country.

"Sometimes working in a Third World country makes me feel like I am emptying the ocean with an eyedropper. And just when I have about half a cup full of water it rains: More orphaned children from the north migrate to where I live, more orphaned and dead babies are found, more people are infected with HIV. It is enough to discourage even the most enthusiastic and passionate person. And yet the discouragement lasts only a moment and God tells me to keep going. That He loves me. That He loves these people. That He will never leave or forsake any of us, not one. That my work is important-to Him."
Kisses from Katie (book)

It was so amazing to hear my own feelings being reflected (and much better described) through this book. I could not have said it better because it is all to often that we feel like we are getting used to living here, and then something drastic will happen and shock us back into the fact that we are living in a third world country and it can be difficult and unpredictable. Yet, in spite of those moments, God is pushing us on and reminding us to love those around us and care for them. We can not change their circumstances many times, but we can love them. I was very encouraged by this devotion tonight and am so very thankful that I have my friends here not only helping and encouraging the kids at Beautiful Gate, but they are coming along side and encouraging me.
Have a blessed day!
Anita

The Haven Team is here

2011-10-15T16:56:00.003-04:00

Hello Everyone!
Sorry I have not written in a week but I was recovering from tiredness after having the 22 people from Jo-burg, and then I was not feeling well for a few days. I am recovered from both of those and enjoying some quality time with friends from Holland/Zeeland. The "Haven" (some are actually from other churches in the Holland area)team arrived yesterday around 6pm. We talked for a bit then quick ran into the houses to play with kids for a few minutes before we had dinner. It was such a blessing to show my friends all my Beautiful Gate kids. Despite their massive jet lag, we were able to have dinner and make a few plans before they all had to head off to bed.
Today we went to TY to a weaver workshop/ store and witnessed some Basotho women weaving and spinning wool into yarn. The team enjoyed the new sights and then browsed through the shop looking at all the tapestries. Then we took them to the Kome Caves and they had to take a pretty steep hike to get down to the cave dwellings. Today, all the families were home so we were able to see all 5 of the houses. We had some great conversations with the tour guide, the taxi drivers and each other. I can not even begin to tell you how amazing it is for our family to have our friends here. I know they are not here for us, but so that they can bless Beautiful Gate and the kids and staff here, however, they are a blessing to us. Sharing our lives and stories in person rather than over the Internet is so good for us. I'll try to post a little extra this week as they are not keeping a blog (maybe I can get one of them to post too so you don't just get my perspective) I am off to bed because I have to help with Sunday School in the morning.
Good Night
Anita

Statistics

2011-10-08T15:26:00.000-04:00

Africa has always been a continent with statistics that are pretty awful. The widespread effect of HIV/AIDS, the short lifespan of adults, the staggering infant mortality rate, the orphan epidemic, hunger, starvation, and the list can go on and on. I am going to apologize in advance for this comment, but Africa was easier as a statistic. Our family gave money to help with Aids research, orphan care centers, sponsored a child from Kenya for 12 years, and gave to charities helping to provide clean water, however it was all so far away and it did not change the way we lived or did things.

Now those jobless, hopeless adults live outside my fence, the orphans are both inside and outside my fence, AIDS is everywhere with 1:3 infected, and hunger is everywhere I go. It is not a statistic anymore, it is our reality. I think it has hit me very hard as I watched our friend rushing back and forth from the hospital for 5 days. His 10 month old daughter was very ill and she took a bad turn to the point that the doctors told her parents there was no hope. He woke me up at 6:10 that morning and needed a car to get to the hospital so I gave him our car keys. He was shaking because of the bad news. I prayed so hard for her and thankfully God provided her healing. I KNOW what the stats are for infants in this country, but they are my friends and I didn’t want them to be one of those statistics. It was so hard to see them worried and praying with all their might and being forced to go to the worst hospital I have ever seen because it was all they could afford. God got them through it, but it made my heart anxious because life is not kind to those living in 3rd world countries, but these are my friends and I love them.

I hope that my first paragraph did not seem heartless to you but I think there are those who can relate. We hear of AIDS, starvation and other horrible things, but until you face it, it is not so personal. I cared but they were not my friends and were not like Aunts and Uncles to my kids. They are people just like you and me and trying desperately every day to make enough money to feed their families and to keep their kids healthy. Trying to offer their kids the best education they can. I am not sure how I could have been so blind before and not seen how much they are like me and my family. Just because they were on the other side of the world did not mean they should have just been a statistic. I have learned my lesson and God has blessed me with new friends and please pray with me that they will be healthy, happy, employed, and go to bed with full stomachs each night.
God Bless You,
Anita

Busy!!

2011-10-07T03:24:00.000-04:00

One thing I had not anticipated with our choosing to live onsite, was how much we would be involved with all of the teams that come to Beautiful Gate to volunteer. Since we are staying in half a house with a shared kitchen, most of the teams stay in the room off the kitchen and on the other side of our house. It has been an enormous blessing to build new relationships but it also keeps us very busy. We had a youth group from Jo-burg, SA come from Sunday at 12pm to Thursday at 10am. There were 20 students ages 14-22 and 2 leaders. Laury and I prepared all the meals for them which kept us very busy in the kitchen and the pay-off for me was that they kept my kids busy by playing games with them, reading to them, or just talking to them. My kids were very happy and were all smiles with that much attention! What another unexpected blessing of being onsite.
The team worked on many projects, and then spent a fair amount of time playing with the BG kids as well as having some pretty huge soccer games with the kids outside the fence. The language barrier did not interfere at all as the games they played with the younger kids were full of motions and funny sounds. There was face painting, games of Simon says, duck duck goose, and of course chase and tackle the big guys ;)
Unfortunately for the team and Laury, a stomach bug went around and I think 8 out of the 28 of us here got the stomach flu. Thankfully my family was spared but Laury was sick for 24 hours so I learned what it is like to cook for a large group by myself (I might never let her go back to California). They made it safely back to Jo-burg yesterday afternoon and my family is still doing well. I think it is harder for my kids to go from that much attention back to just mommy, but they have one more week till a team from our home church arrives and then we are going to have friends from home so that will be a blessed time too. So sorry I did not post for about a week but I was very busy!
Anita

African Customer Service????

2011-09-30T09:47:00.002-04:00

So, I feel compelled to share with you our experiences of "great" customer service.

1. Anita and I were out on a date to see a movie and then get some dessert at the restaurant in the mall. On the dessert menu, there was a chocolate brownie that you could get in "full size" and "bite size". Anita asked the server for a "bite sized" chocolate brownie and the waiter said that they were out of the "bite sized" brownies, but had the "full size" brownies. I will let that one sink in a minute............ After Anita ordered the "full size" and the waiter left, we both looked at each other and said, "You COULD just cut the "full size" brownie into "bite size"!!!! Needless to say, we had a great laugh!

2. When we print pictures here in Lesotho, we take the digital pictures on a flash drive to the mall and insert that into the Kodak machine and select the pictures to be printed. On the last 10 trips, the flash drive portion of the machine has been broken, but the employee has willingly put the flash drive in their computer and transferred them onto a different media format that does work in the machine. This takes time, but works. Well, just the other day, we went to the same machine with pictures on the flash drive. The employee said that the machine would not work with that drive. We said that we have given them the drive before and that they have transferred it to another media that would. But, this time the employee said that they could do that but would need to charge us for the extra time to transfer the photos to another media.................... So, let me get this straight.......YOUR machine is broken so the extra time that is involved to complete the picture printing would need to be paid by the customer?!?!?!?! Needless to say, we went down the street about 2 kms away to another Kodak machine and had them printed there.

These are just two examples of the strange (or non-existent) customer service here in Africa. Anita and I can laugh at these, as we are getting used to them. I had to call someone in America the other day, and I couldn't help but be excited about the customer service that I received over the phone, and I let them know it too!
Bryan

Off to Bond- Then to Sweden!

2011-09-26T15:46:00.001-04:00

What a blessed day it was here at Beautiful Gate. Today one little boy, who has been matched for over 13 months, finally had the chance to meet his parents and go off to bond with them. Once again I was struck by how well our social worker is able to match kids with their perfect parent/parents. The parents and their new son hit it off very well and they even stuck around and watched him play with his friends during playgroup so they got a real good glimpse to his life here at Beautiful Gate and are now spending 1:1 time with him till the adoption this Friday. This couple is from Sweden and are the first couple we have met in our 9 months here from Sweden so now we have had couples from all 4 countries, which Lesotho works with, come during our time here.

The highlight for me was that there was a management meeting that the office staff needed to be in and so they asked me to stay with the couple and answer any questions, etc. till their ride came. It was very special to be able to sit and talk about Beautiful Gate, their time of waiting, Lesotho, HIV/AIDS and many other topics. And amazingly enough, my kids played very well together in the sandbox for over an hour so I could really be helpful to this couple. I am usually very busy either teaching the kids, cooking meals, cleaning or doing other things that I do not often get to spend time with adoptive families (except the last group from Canada who were here a little longer than they had planned – hope all is going well for you and your little blessings!!!).

I have spent many hours kicking balls back and forth with their new son and playing hide and seek and will miss his handsome little smiles and his spontaneous hugs. As it was getting close to time for him to leave, he actually ran up to me and grabbed my legs and when I bent down he gave me a huge hug and kiss. Usually I initiate the hugs and kisses but I am honored by his little gift to me. Another happy ending of a family who has persevered the waiting process and received the reward of a happy, healthy, and loving child that will be theirs forever. Thank you once again God for the most beautiful, precious gift that is adoption!!!!!
Anita

Deliver, Wait, Play and Skype

2011-09-24T14:43:00.003-04:00

Sometimes I just like to journal my day so you have a little idea of what we do. Today was a very different day as when I woke up my house was still quiet. My 3 kids slept over at their friends' house (with Ray and Sue's daughters) for the first time. I had hoped to sleep in but Bryan and I had work to do. Yesterday Laury and M'e' Matsakulu shopped for the kids and staff here and the order was for 3 weeks instead of 2 and it was a lot of work to sort. Bryan and I were unable to help distribute the food as it was after 5:30 when we finished sorting and we were going on a date (I know I have terrible priorities but this was out first night here without the kids and I was NOT staying home to work). So first thing this morning we loaded the wheelbarrows with food and brought them to the houses. It took us about an hour to load, deliver and unload the wheelbarrows and we were sweating. Good morning workout!

Then we, along with our 2 roommates headed to Ladybrand so we could pick up the kids and have lunch. Wow, were we surprised by the line up at the border. Today was a holiday in South Africa so they only had one person at the window stamping passports. It took us over an hour and a half to get through the border and then got stuck in some construction so we were late picking up the kids and for lunch, oops...TIA

We came back and thankfully the lines were smaller. Bryan and our 3 kids put on their swimsuits and washed our truck and I decided to go to playgroup for awhile. I was mobbed. I think I had 8 kids in my lap at one time and I did not think that could be done! Still am not sure how I survived, hahaha. The kids enjoyed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for their afternoon snack and they were so cute because they kept trying to feed me. After snack time, I tickled about 15 kids and cuddled with about that many too and then they had to go inside to get ready for dinner.

I made dinner for our family and our 2 extras (roommates who are like family) and then cuddled up on the couch with my kids to watch Megamind while Bryan headed to the office to skype with some Canadian friends who have adopted from Beautiful Gate. We both have another skype date tonight with a friend from church who will be bringing a team here in a few short weeks! So, that was my day today. Hope yours was a good one too.
Anita

Back from a great getaway!

2011-09-21T14:27:00.003-04:00

Well, after many hours of driving, we safely made it to and from Port Elizabeth, South Africa. What is there, you ask? How about elephants, cheetahs, meerkats, cervals, giraffes, kudu, buffalo, red heartbeasts, warthogs, black backed jackals, tigers, zebras, crocodiles, lions, lion cubs, leopards, ostrich, dung beetles, baboons, vervet monkeys, snakes, snails, crabs, various birds, etc. etc. I think you get the point. Anyway, we had three wonderful days (all sunny and windy) in Port Elizabeth. But, we saw more animals than you could imagine.
On the first day there, we went to Daniell's Cheetah Breeding Farm and another place called the Reptile House in Lenmore. At Daniell's Farm, we were able to learn more about cheetahs and even pet a full grown adult cheetah named Ola. We were also treated to being able to hold 1 month old lion cubs as well. At the Reptile House, we were able to hold various snakes (the non-poisonous kind) as well as see other poisonous snakes too. We also had the very rare experience of holding a meerkat. There were also four crocodiles too.
On the second day, we went to Addo Elephant Park. Obviously, we saw some elephants. Early in our car expedition there, we were able to stop and let 5 elephants cross the road right in front of our vehicle. I dare say that we saw over 50 different elephants during our day at the park. Since elephants are Anita's favorite animal, I think it goes without saying that she loved it! We also saw the jackals, zebras, buffalo, kudu, and many other animals there. What a great day!
On the third day, we went to a place called Seaview Lion and Game Park. They had over 10 different full grown lions, 4 lion cubs, 2 tigers, 2 leopards and other various animals. We were also fortunate enough to witness feeding day for the lions. It is really amazing how much power those animals have. They were able to carry off large pieces of food easily, when it took one human a lot of energy to get it off the truck. After seeing those animals, we drove to the Indian Ocean shoreline and did some exploring of rocky outcroppings. We were able to do some "biology" lessons with the kids about snails, crabs and other various sea creatures. The kids also collected some shells.
All in all, it was a wonderful experience and I would highly recommend the Port Elizabeth area for anyone that would like to see many different animals. I am pretty sure that we will be back there again in the future.
Bryan

No internet

2011-09-14T16:02:00.002-04:00

We will be leaving first thing in the morning and heading to Addo Elephant Park in Addo, South Africa. Our roommate, Laury's friend has come for a visit and they really wanted to go somewhere special, and since Bryan is the designated driver because he is comfortable driving a manual car on the left side of the road, we are all taking our first real vacation. We did a 3 day weekend to Durban in February to buy a car, and went to Cape Town for a Beautiful Gate conference and were in meetings all but 1 1/2 days so now we will be having 3 days to relax and sight see (plus 2 days of driving as it is about 8 hours away). Our whole family is in need of a break with all the changes and planning that has been happening at Beautiful Gate! It will be a good time for a break from school for the kids and I and a nice opportunity for the kids to have more 1:1 time with Bryan and finally see some animals. One highlight we are really hoping to check out (besides my elephants) is a cheetah farm. Elijah LOVES cheetahs and we are going to surprise him by taking him there. They actually let people walk the cheetahs everyday at 4:30pm, but you have to be 12 years to do it, poor Elijah. We will not be anywhere with Internet so we will not be bringing our computer. Therefore there will be no posts until late Monday or Tuesday morning. If there is an emergency and you need to contact us, you can call Bryan's South African phone #011 27 719 290 513.

Have a great weekend and for those of you on our support list you should have our September newsletter in a few days which will explain some of the changes here at Beautiful Gate. If you are not on our newsletter list and would like to be then please email us at bageurink@hotmail.com and we can add you so you can receive our quarterly newsletter.
Anita

My Mercy

2011-09-13T15:49:00.003-04:00

Okay, I just have to tell you about my 4 year old today. I know that when you share a story, it is usually not as funny to those who read it as it was to you when you saw or heard it, but I am going to try.

Today around 11am our kids were playing with a few cats in the middle bedroom. They had the door shut and were having a great time, so I did not really check on them much. Tonight at 7pm, I was folding and putting away laundry and decided to put some of the extra sheets and towels in a closet in that middle room (which was God ordained as I pretty much never open the closet in that room). As I opened the closet door, a little cat came out of the closet. I immediately called the kids into the room and confronted them about the cat being locked in the closet and Mercy said she had done it. I sat by her and explained that she could have hurt the cat by leaving it in there without food, water and enough oxygen. She then began to cry and said she had put it in there because she wanted to play with it later and then she forgot where she put it! I felt so bad for her as she cried but it was actually pretty funny to me. Her brother and sister are much better at catching the cats than her so she had thought she found a pretty good way to get the cat when she wanted to play.

Then as we were tucking the kids in bed, Bryan was praying and asking God to help us find an affordable place to stay in Port Elizabeth (we are thinking of taking a long weekend trip there to see the elephants at Addo National Park) and when he said amen, Mercy said, "Why is she poor?" I laughed so hard and told her that daddy said Port Elizabeth not poor Elizabeth. My youngest child really makes me laugh and everyday is such an adventure with her as I never know what to expect!
Children are a blessing from the Lord.
Anita

DREAMING BIG!!!

2011-09-08T14:40:00.002-04:00

Where do you see Beautiful Gate in 10 years...

This week we had a team come from Cape Town and meet with us and our leadership team here at Beautiful Gate and we had a 3 day workshop brainstorming that question. It was an amazing time as it was my (Anita) first time sitting down with staff and hearing their hopes and dreams for Beautiful Gate's future. They were very open and honest and there were times they even allowed themselves the freedom to think and dream big.

I feel like the unity and sense of vision that has come from these meetings has inspired the staff and brought us all closer. We shared our hearts and all have the common goal to love God first and to care for His children to the best of our abilities no matter what our job here is. I am thankful for this opportunity and feel as though it was perfect timing as we are beginning our transition into the director roles here.

The team that came was such a blessing to Bryan and I as they really came along beside us to support us, encourage us, and to help us plan for our next few years here at Beautiful Gate. God's timing keeps showing up as perfect and never ceases to amaze us. The last 10 years of Beautiful Gate have been excellent and are full of miracles and testimonies of God showing up at just the right time and I feel confident that the next 10 years will be just as much or more. Praising God for His guidance and feeling at peace that He will continue to show us His perfect plans.
God Bless you!

Sad Day

2011-09-05T15:24:00.003-04:00

Today made me cry. I don't like days like today because they leave too much to my imagination and make me sad. There is a sibling set that came here back in March. The boy is 3ish and he has a younger sister. I remember his first day here, how sad and slowly he walked down the path to his "new home." He looked so scared and all alone and I remember thinking that I needed to really go out of my way to make him feel welcome. His second day here, I put him on the swing and he seemed a little unsure both about me and the swing. I pushed it real slow and tried to talk to him soothingly and after that I couldn't get him off the swing for weeks :) I would tickle him and chase him around till I could get a huge smile out of him and it brought such joy to my day. Now whenever he sees me, he yells 'Me' Anita and waits for me to come over and tickle him. He has the BEST laugh and smile!

As I walked home today, he was on his motor bike and pushed his bike to me so he could say hi and get his daily tickle. I played with him for a minute and then went inside to check on my kids and that was my last minute I'll have with him. I am glad I kissed him and told him I love him because now he is no longer our child at Beautiful Gate. He and his sister were taken back to their family today with absolutely no notice. Social welfare came and said that their parents "worked out" their issues.

Earlier this year his parents had a big fight (which sounds like it happens often) and the dad decided to go to South Africa and left the kids with their mom. She then decided that she would get even with her husband and abandon their children. Really, you are a grown up who had a fight and you think, "Oh, let me just abandon my children, leave my 3 and 1 year olds alone to feed themselves and change their diapers, etc and that will really show my husband." I know I should not be writing this today because my feelings are too raw, but it just sucks that the kids are being returned to parents who earlier this year had not one thought to their well being when they were angry with each other. What happens when they have their next fight?

I think that the part that made me cry the most was seeing his face as he was ready to walk out to the car. He was not happy to be going home. He looked scared and unsure. He did not smile or say anything. Please pray for him and his sister. Pray that their parents truly have worked out their issues and do not do this again. God loves them so much more than I do, but I am not doing a very good job trusting today so maybe you could pray for me to put my trust in His care. Sorry to be so down but my heart is so sad today.
Anita

Time with God's Children

2011-08-31T13:35:00.004-04:00

Today was just amazing! On Wednesdays at 1:00pm the staff have a time of worship together (called Time with God) so they can pray, sing, and encourage each other with scripture. One of the leaders of the worship team decided to step out and left every third Wednesday open without a leader. The worship team's solution was absolutely perfect! Now every 3rd Wednesday of the month from 3:00-3:45pm any staff who wants to can take 45 minutes off work and just play with the children, hold babies and feed babies. House mothers can switch houses and play with the kids from another house (one house staff will always be in their own house though in case there are problems or questions). There are many staff who do this each day at tea time with the playgroup kids, but there has never been a planned time for all of us to meet together and play.

At 3 o'clock today we all met in the circle and sang father Abraham and did the motion and then listened to some scripture about caring for children. Then we split up and grabbed kids and babies. The office staff, preschool staff, maintenance men, my family and many of the house staff went all over the place playing with kids. I have never heard so much laughter at Beautiful Gate between the staff but also among the children. It was perfect and made me smile and feel content. It was like a miracle of team building among all the staff as well as bonding with each and every child. The staff were the hands and feet of Jesus today and it was truly beautiful.
I hope your day is blessed too,
Anita

Unexpected Blessings

2011-08-28T15:16:00.003-04:00

I never would have imagined that my life would be like this. First of all, I never would have thought that I would be living in Africa. Second, I never thought I would be a missionary. And lastly, I could never have imagined the people that I have met since being here.
I have met local Basotho people and new friends from countries all over the world. Today we had the opportunity to have lunch and fellowship with 3 other families from our church here in Maseru. One family was from Belgium, another from the Netherlands, another from South Africa and then our family (including Laury). It was a great time of learning about our different cultures and languages. But, I have to admit that South African hospitality is some of the best. We have also been blessed to meet a few other Americans (mostly with Mission Aviation Fellowship) at church and will be getting to know them more in the very near future.
Once again, this is just a small glimpse of what Heaven will look like, as there will be "people from every tribe and language" there. I look forward to getting to know all of them better and also meeting new people as well.
Thank you for your prayers and support.
Bryan

3 new Canadians on their way...

2011-08-24T15:35:00.003-04:00

Today is a bit of a bittersweet day for our family. As much as we know that the children here at Beautiful Gate are only here temporarily, and are just awaiting adoption to their families, we forget how sad it is to say goodbye. Our whole family is feeling it today as we said goodbye to 3 children who met their mom and dad. Being there when they met was the most beautiful scene. It was so special to see the instant love of the parents for these 3 children that they have been praying for and waiting for, for many years. A dream come true, their family complete, and the joy was evident. Honestly we are so happy for them and we praise God for putting them in loving Godly homes. Today was also the first time I felt like I knew the families who were adopting. The mothers had emailed me a few times before they came and we were able to encourage and pray for each other. Then seeing them here ready to meet their new children was so joyful. The adoption process is a very long journey for some families and it was such a blessing to see them "in the delivery room" in a sense.

As we walked back home, Elijah said he was going to miss one girl so much because she is one of his soccer buddies. He even wanted me to run out to the store and buy her a soccer ball as a goodbye gift. He also said he was going to miss her brother so much too. Faith was sad because she and the girl used to do cartwheels together all the time and then just sit in the grass and laugh. She spent hours in the sandbox with both boys as well, building, cooking, driving and any other thing they could come up with to play in the sandbox. I am going to miss hearing the girl yell, 'Me' Anita COME! 'Me' Anita SIT HERE! 'Me'Anita Boooooook! And one of the boys is the sweetest most sensitive and shy boy I have ever met. They brightened my day every single day since I arrived at Beautiful Gate on December 6th. May God bless them and keep them and turn His face toward them and their families and smile on them.

I am thankful that God has placed our family here and that we have built relationships with the kids and are building relationships with some of the families as well. At the rate things are going here with adoptions, I am finding more and more reasons why I will need to visit Canada one day to see all these precious kids. And I am still praying for a miracle for one mom in particular who lives close to my hometown and has waited a long time for her son and several very special families in West Michigan who have started the process or are seriously considering adoption from Lesotho. From what I saw today and many other times since December, it is worth the wait, the anxiety, the financial strain, etc. Just don't be surprised when I cry when I have to say good-bye to your new children because I love all the kids here with my whole heart!
Anita

PS. There is peace in Lesotho again. The march on Monday was peaceful which was an answer to prayer. I do not know the outcome of anything that brought on the strike and the march. I do not know if the people will get a raise in pay, but according to our staff, it is very doubtful. I also do not know yet what has happened with the taxi fares. I do not know if they went from R4 to R5 or if it went from R4 to R10 which had been proposed. So while I feel like I have very little to offer in my knowledge of justice in wages and taxi fares, I will at least inform you that there is peace and everyone is back to work. Thank you for praying because after the protests and destruction that occurred last week, only God could have kept the mobs calm on Monday as they marched.

Toy Library

2011-08-22T12:31:00.002-04:00

Today, I was struck by an interesting idea... my children's outdoor toys are becoming like a toy library. We have around 20 neighbor kids who come to our fence daily asking to borrow toys. I was very cautious in the beginning because I was not sure if they would really borrow the toys or if they would think I was giving it to them to keep. Thankfully 80% of the kids at least understand English so it has been working out. We have been sharing our soccer balls for the past 5 months (3 have been lost or popped and today they got to play with our 4th, we are going to need to require visitors to bring us a deflated soccer ball when they come visit so we can keep up with demand, hahaha, but recently we have been sharing our tennis balls, footballs, and hoolahoops. There are several younger kids who do not play catch or soccer very well so we have been giving them coloring book pages and a few crayons to color with.

God has given us a lot and it feels good to have a "toy library" so we can share from our blessings with those who have less than us. This method is especially nice because now we do not have to play any favorites by giving things to certain kids, but instead we share with them all. It is beautiful to see their smiles of joy when the toys come out. It is nice also because they do not come just to get the toys, they also ask for Elijah, Faith and Mercy to come and play too. Some days I let them walk around and play outside the fence and other days when I can not watch them outside the fence, they just play catch over the fence with my kids. Today we had kids here from 1-6pm. I let my kids play for a while outside the fence and then pulled my laptop outside and played some children's christian music while they all played.
Thanking God for creative ways to impact our community,
Anita

Quiet Weekend before the March

2011-08-20T01:57:00.003-04:00

The weekend is calm and peaceful in Lesotho so we will be taking this opportunity to head to Malealea to do some hiking. It is a beautiful scenic place and we have never been there, but have heard that it is nice. I think only Elijah would be ready for pony trekking of our 3 kids so I think we will be doing some hiking on foot instead. Looking forward to some fun family time on a peaceful day.

There is another march scheduled for Monday from 10-2pm. It is suppose to be peaceful and their hope is to deliver a letter to the Prime Minister, but once again we have been told to stay home. Bryan, Laury and Jessica will be leaving to head to Jo-burg, but they will leave before the march begins. The kids and I will remain at Beautiful Gate and pray for peaceful resolution.
Thanks for your prayers!
Anita

Lesotho Update

2011-08-17T15:20:00.002-04:00

We wanted to update you all again with the situation that is here in Lesotho. Please read the last post for the first day of the "stay away" days for the factory workers. After that strange and eventful day, there was very little news yesterday, other than the occasional workers still picketing on the main street by the factories. There were two more shootings yesterday. And, protesters were pulling people out of their houses and beating them, if they were found to have gone to work. One of our staff had to dress in disguise so that he could make it to work. Beautiful Gate sent most of our staff home early yesterday so that they would be safely there when the tension level was set to rise (3-5pm was anticipated to be the most tense hours, as that is when the factories were to let out).
Today happily started off quiet, but we are not sending the van into town for fear of the protesters either injuring the vehicle or even shooting at our staff in the van. Sounds rough, but anyone that is perceived to not be following the "stay away" policy is considered to be against them. (Even though they would agree that an orphanage cannot stop its operations). We were also able to learn that the Government of Lesotho has turned off all public radio stations in the area today. This is unfortunate for us, as this was our easiest way to gather information on what was going on around the area. This has made some of our staff a little concerned, in that the government is starting to take away the "Freedom Of Speech" by shutting down the radio stations. Of course, we can get the one channel that is run by the Government. And, we are also able to pick up one other South African radio station. So, I am now having to listen to my drivers each time they are out and about in town to see how things are progressing. This is very tough, as each person can have their own opinions.
We have also heard that the Prime Minister of Lesotho has fled to South Africa. This is not surprising, as he appears to have sided with the Chinese factories all along and has not even made an effort at negotiations in this process.
Also today, protesters were being arrested and put in jail. But the worst part is that we are hearing that the judges are no longer hearing their cases at sentencing, so the protesters are just having to wait.
We have also heard that South Africa has sent representatives to assist the Lesotho Government with this situation. Hopefully they can restore peace and work towards peaceful negotiations.
Happily, Beautiful Gate has been able to keep a low profile through this and we have not had any incidences during this time. All our staff are safe and staying out of the politics (without being caught by either side). Today is also supposed to be the final day of the "stay away" protest. So, we are anxiously waiting to see what tomorrow will bring. We are still taking precautionary measures tomorrow, but are hoping to have some of the staffing issues return to normal.
I must say that I have learned a lot during this time! And Anita and I continue to ask you to pray for Lesotho and the situation. We know that God is in control and we pray that all sides will be heard.
Thank you for your prayers and support during this time!
Keeping you informed,
Bryan

Urgent Prayer Request

2011-08-15T15:26:00.002-04:00

I almost did not post this because I don't want to alarm our friends and family, but prayer is very needed right now, so please know that we are being safe and cautious (and NOT leaving our house until it is over). There was a march and a stay-away protest/strike scheduled today in Maseru. The taxis (main and almost only transportation for most Masotho) are raising their rates and may even more than double the current rate which has caused fear and panic for the local population. They then planned this march/strike in order to let the factory owners know that they need more money so they can afford to travel to work each day.

We were told that while this is a planned and supposed to be a peaceful demonstration, it would be wise of us to stay home and not travel during the next few days. So yesterday, we bought enough groceries for a week or more. Today was the first day of the strike and it did not remain peaceful. Three people were shot and one was fatal. There were rocks flying and tires burning and they even created a road block at the end of our road to prevent either people or police from traveling by the factories (protesters made the road block, not the police). A few of our staff spent the night here so they would not have to travel through the dangerous crowds who had gathered to protest. Several others are pulling a double shift so that our drivers are not required to drive by the factories to pick up our staff. All this is happening in Ha Thetsane and that is where we are living so we ask for prayer that the strike will end soon and that no one else will be shot or injured in the next few days. I understand their desperation as they already make such little money and the taxi prices being raised is going to really hurt those who are already poor and barely making it. God is in control and I know He will care for these scared and desperate people, but pray for peace and calm as they make their statement to the factory owners and the government officials.

Here is the email from the American Embassy that we received;

As anticipated in last week’s security notice, crowds are gathering throughout the city, such as in Thetsane near the traffic circles of the industrial area and near the stadium in preparation for a march. The march is scheduled for today between 1000 and 1400 hours, and the proposed route is from the sports stadium to Main North 1, down Mpilo Road to the Moshoeshoe Statue.

The Embassy reminds you to take proper precautions when traveling, such as avoiding areas of potential intimidation, route of marches, and ongoing demonstrations. Avoid any large crowds/gatherings of people. Ensure you have alternate and tertiary travel routes. Carry your cellular telephone, and report all security concerns to the Embassy immediately.

Protesters have blocked Kofi Annan Road (Pioneer Road) near Maseru Private Hospital with burning tires, rocks, wire, and other improvised obstacles. This route should be avoided until further notice.

Thanks for your prayers as Lesotho needs them right now.
Anita

Super Bo M'e

2011-08-11T15:26:00.003-04:00

Today we had the funeral service for Nthatua, a 5 1/2 month old girl that went to be with Jesus. It was truly an honor to be a part of the service. We began the service with a couple songs as we followed the hearse down the gravel road to the cemetery. The men had already dug up the grave site and the casket was taken from the hearse and near the grave site. Three people were asked to recall moments from Nthatua's life. It was a beautiful time to reflect and see the love that she received from the staff at Beautiful Gate. Then the House Mother of Nthatua was asked to give her memories from their time together. At this point, the House Mother broke into sobbing and it spread through the crowd gathered around the site. She was not able to give testimony at this time, so another House Mother was able to speak on her behalf.

That was when I realized how much these House Mothers love these children. This is not a job for them. Each and every one of these children are just as important to them as their own children. These House Mothers are amazing women! I cannot imagine the "scars" that these ladies have. All the heart ache and pain from all the funerals of "their kids". Even the adoptions to "forever families" leaves a "scar". Even though the adoptions give each child a bright hope and future, it is also another goodbye for the House Mother. Today I was wondering how they do it.
And then I read the Bible in Ephesians 3: 17-19, "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Nthatua was able to see a glimpse of God's love through their House Mothers. This is their calling. They are here to love every child that comes into their home. And they love each child so much, that they are willing to "give them up" to adoptive parents so that the children can be blessed even more. I cannot even imagine giving up my own kids to another person, and here they do it with the grace and understanding that reflects Jesus.

I thank God for that moment of seeing His love for us, through the work of the House Mothers here at Beautiful Gate. You never know where you will "see" God, but keep your eyes upon Him and you will be blessed at the most unexpected times.

Bryan

A Mother's Love

2011-08-08T11:45:00.004-04:00

Today I was reminded that I am in Lesotho, a 3rd world country where poverty destroys families. There is a little girl here whom I have loved on and worked hard to help her learn to walk. Over a month ago, she was reunited with her mother who had abandoned her when she was a baby. Today, her mother brought her back. She just couldn't afford to feed her and keep her warm. Seeing them together and the mother's anguish that she could not care for her child was heartbreaking. The mother wrote her daughter the most beautiful letter I have ever read and told her how much she loves her (I was tempted to post it but thought I should respect the mother who wrote it and the future family who will adopt this beautiful girl). She is not giving her up out of hatred or lack of love, she is giving her up so she can have enough to eat and a family who can provide for her. The letter is so heartfelt and the most wonderful gift she could give her daughter so she will always know that her mother cared so much that she gave her up.
Beautiful, heartbreaking Lesotho.
There have been times where I have wanted to hate these mothers who just abandon their children and leave them out in the cold where they can die or be hurt by wild animals, or leave them in trash bags or in a pit toilet. I want to yell at them about the way they are neglecting and abusing their precious gifts from God, and yet I feel the Holy Spirit pricking my heart to love them and to pray for them. I have tried to do that even before we came here to live. To try to put myself in their shoes knowing that the mother could be dying of AIDS, or she may have run out of food and can't bear to watch her child die of starvation. Today, God showed me one of those mothers whose love is pure and true. She may have done it wrong the first time when she abandoned her daughter, but this time she knew Beautiful Gate was here and she brought her to us and did the last loving thing she could do, give her to a family who can take care of her basic needs and so much more because she knew she could not and had to walk away in tears. This is a kind of love I cannot even begin to explain or feel because loving your child so much that you have to let go is unimaginable to me and I respect her and I love her and will pray God's peace for her.

Several updates

2011-08-03T07:50:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to share a few updates with you. Mercy had her bandage removed and redressed yesterday and I am happy to report that there were no signs of infection. She has been so tough and brave and I am happy that her hand is healing up nicely. After 2 days of it being tender, she just got back to her regular old self and acted as though it never happened ;)

The staff member who inventories our donations was out sick for over a week and did not come to work to unpack all the boxes. He is back and so he and the 'Me' who is in charge of the baby houses have begun to unpack the boxes and inventory all the donations we have received. I asked Bryan to get a few pictures of them so he will hopefully have pictures of the mounds of donations soon.

Bryan and I received some really cool T-shirts that the Holland Christian girl's basketball team had made to support Beautiful Gate. They have done several fundraisers for Beautiful Gate as well and we wanted to say thanks. Also we received 2 donations this past school year from students at Zeeland Christian. One time, students did a pop can drive for us and collected cans from around Zeeland. If you know any students who are on the basketball team or at Zeeland Christian who have been involved in supporting us and/or Beautiful Gate, tell them thanks from us! It is so amazing when young students understand how important it is to help others and to care for orphans. Their love and service toward God are such an amazing testimony and example to all of us.

My last update is on the little baby girl who passed away. Family was located according to the police, but the family is either unsure the baby is theirs or may not be able to pay for the burial and service so may release her back to us. We do not know when she will be buried nor by whom at this point so we will keep you posted when we know more. The police are going to get back to us soon.
Anita

Mercy 0..... Cactus 1

2011-07-30T13:30:00.002-04:00

So, some of you have asked us what we do on our Saturdays off. I am here to tell you that we like to spend them at the local hospital. Not volunteering, but giving them more work to do (and some of our money :) ). Today started out like most Saturdays. And after a short trip to town this morning, Anita and I decided that a nice family hike up a local mountain would be nice. Anita packed the lunch stuff and water. After parking near the local chief's house, we proceeded up the mountain. The first part was only moderately steep and the kids did a great job. So, Anita and I decided to keep going to see if we all could make it to the top. About 90% of the way to the top of the mountain, I had to help the kids go over a large rock. Mercy decided to start leading the way up from there (which was okay by me, as it started to level off again). Then Anita and I heard a blood curdling scream from Mercy. About 20 feet up from us, she had slipped and put her hands out in front of her to catch her fall. Unfortunately there was a cactus where her left hand had landed to stop her fall (she properly fell face forward toward the mountain to stop her slide).
When Anita and I arrived at the scene, we noticed blood on Mercy's hands and some thorn-like objects coming from her hand. So, I started picking out some of the easy ones. And that was when Anita and I noticed that there were two very deep thorns in Mercy's palms and one that went all the way through Mercy's ring finger! It was at that moment that I knew we were in for a long day. So, I gave my backpack to Elijah and picked up Mercy in my arms. The family then had a long decent down the mountain (remember, we were 90% to the top). I hurried as fast as I could (without falling myself with Mercy in my arms) to get back to the truck. Once there, we headed straight for the private hospital near Beautiful Gate. Mercy proceeded to get x-rays and then had minor surgery to take the thorns out of her left hand. All went well at the hospital and we are now back home at Beautiful Gate. Mercy is still a little groggy from the anesthetic (they had to put her out for the surgery). The first thing that Mercy said when she woke up was, "I feel weird!" She immediately went back to sleep.
Please pray that Mercy does not get any infections in her hand from the deep thorns. We did receive antibiotics for that and also some pain medicine. She is such a trooper and now I owe her a large candy bar for being so brave. The cute part is that she is intent on sharing her candy bar with friends and family.
So there you have it. Just another Saturday in Lesotho! :)

God Moment

2011-07-28T05:49:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, as I was preparing to go for a walk with my friend Donna, I grabbed some change and put it in my pocket. I NEVER grab change and put in it my pocket before a walk because I like to tell the truth when people ask for money and I say I do not have any. I just felt like I needed to have some money today. We went on our walk and nothing unusual happened and no one asked for some change. On my way home I went past a tuck shop (small store) and thought about getting some fruit for the kids but we did not really need any so I kept walking home.

Once I was home, I hurried outside to take my laundry off the line. As I was busy doing that, Luky (the orphan boy we have hired to pick up litter) told me he would like to talk to me. He waited patiently for me to finish with my laundry and then told me that he is unable to cook the papa I gave him on Monday because he is out of propane and paraffin (something like kerocine I think). I began to be worried because I know we can not go out and buy him a tank of propane (don't have a car, etc). So I asked him how much it would be for paraffin and it sounded like he said R50 but when I asked again he was saying R15. I prayed that God would guide me wisdom and then I remembered the money it my pocket. I prayed there would be R15 in my pocket and so then I would know that I was suppose to help him more than just the food I have been providing each week. I pulled out my coins and sure enough I had R15 exactly. I just had to smile as I put it in his pocket. God guided me as I asked for His wisdom to know how much to help Luky and I really feel peace that our family is here to take care of him. God brought him to us for a reason and I love how obvious God's answers can be sometimes.
Anita

Our first Good-bye

2011-07-24T15:45:00.003-04:00

Back in 2009, I came to Beautiful Gate with a mission team and one of the main jobs of our team was having the men build a memorial wall for children who have passed away while being cared for at Beautiful Gate. I never thought at the time it was being built that I'd be back here and the moment that Bryan and I have feared for the past 7 1/2 months has happened. We will be adding a new name to the wall.

A little baby girl who was sick from the time we got her a few months ago and has been in and out of the hospital with pneumonia, possibly TB and complications with HIV has lost her battle and has gone on to be held in Jesus' arms. She will be missed and I am glad that the Bo 'Me' were able to hold, feed, and love on her for the brief time we had her here. I did not get to hold her much as she was sick a lot, but my family and I have been blessed for being able to be a part of her brief stay here at Beautiful Gate (she was not placed for adoption yet for those of you who are adopting from BG and follow our blog).

I don't know when we will have her funeral or what role Bryan will have to play in that ceremony. I don't know the words yet to explain this loss and the causes of it to our children, but do plan to allow them to be a part of the funeral if they choose. I know God will comfort the Bo'Me' who cared for her and He will give us the wisdom and grace to handle this very sad loss of such a precious little daughter of God. So I will write more later but want to leave you with this poem from the memorial wall at Beautiful Gate...

Only a baby's grave-
A foot or Two at most,
Of tear-soaked earth, But a loving God
knows what the little grave cost.

Only a baby's life-
Brief as a perfumed kiss,
So quickly it goes,
But our Father knows
We are nearer to Him for this.

Boxes and Birthdays

2011-07-23T16:25:00.003-04:00

Well, TIA is the best way to start this email. I know there are many of you who donated to Beautiful Gate and were hoping to see some pictures of the boxes being opened, but the 'Me' who inventories our supplies was not available last week so we have not been able to open the boxes yet. It is important to have her do this inventory as she is the one who puts things away in storage and hands out needed items to the houses, so she needs to know what is available so she does not buy items we don't need ;) That being said I hope (with my fingers crossed) that I can get some pictures next week.

On a different note, today was a fun adventure with a little pre-birthday celebration for Elijah and Mercy. Our friends Allan and Donna took us to a little game park about an hour and a half away, in South Africa. Once we got there and the kids got to play on a little playground for a bit, we began our adventure to go see a few wild animals. Well...Allan and Donna made it up the VERY steep hill, but we did not because our truck did not have 4 wheel drive so..... poor Bryan had to back our truck (Beautiful Gate's truck that we borrowed) down the steep hill (he is an amazing driver, I never could have done that) and Allan had to turn around at the top of the hill and come get all of us.

So, we had 6 adults and 5 children in Allan's Surf. Not exactly comfortable, but we were not going to stay at the bottom of the hill and miss out on seeing animals. We saw a few Meerkats, Zebra, Kudu, Spring Bok, Wildebeests, peacocks and several ostriches. The kids got to pet an ostrich which was cool for them but we did not get too close to many other animals. The kids had no idea we were going to see animals today, so it was a fun birthday surprise for them. Now, they will be prepared for our next safari because now they know that you have to drive around a lot if you want to see the animals ;) Maybe next time won't be so crowded either. I thought it was a wonderful way to spend the day with friends and to celebrate their birthdays which will be on Monday!

The Boxes are HERE!!!

2011-07-20T15:15:00.003-04:00

Bryan and his friend arrived back to Beautiful Gate this afternoon and they had ALL the boxes with them! There were 56 boxes full of things for Beautiful Gate! So amazing to see them all on the back of the trailer as they pulled in. It was in the afternoon when they arrived so they put the boxes in a storage room and tomorrow they will begin to open and sort the boxes. Bryan will try to get some pictures of them as they are opening the boxes and we will do our best to post some pictures tomorrow! We may have waited for months to get this shipment, but it is here and the wait is over. I can't wait to see what has been donated and am so happy that so many people were able to think and care about the children here and have given so generously!

Some Good News

2011-07-15T10:00:00.003-04:00

Great news! Our container has been cleared from South African Customs in Cape Town and we will now be travelling to Beaufort West on Monday to get the donated goods for Beautiful Gate and our own personal belongings that we shipped in the container. Originally, the container was supposed to arrive in Cape Town in the middle of April and get to Beautiful Gate by late April. Here we are in July and we are finally getting to the last steps. The container was delayed out of New York in February and so our container made stops in Israel, Djibouti, Durban and finally Cape Town. Once it arrived in Cape Town, we had to wait for it to clear customs. This was made longer by the fact that 1 in 5000 containers are searched, and guess what?.... Our container was the "lucky" 1!!! So, after seeing that we are not smugglers, we are now cleared. I will be driving (with Ntate KB from Beautiful Gate) to Beaufort West on Monday. On Tuesday, we will then meet up with Todd Clevenger (who has made all this possible....Thank you Todd) and help with unloading the container. Once that is completed, Ntate KB and I will return to Beautiful Gate (probably on Wednesday morning) and start to unload the donations for Beautiful Gate. This has been an amazing process from the beginning. Satan has tried to stop this container so many times. But, the Lord's plans will never be stopped and we (Beautiful Gate) are eagerly awaiting it's arrival. Once again, I cannot thank all of you who have donated to this container! The kids here at Beautiful Gate will be truly blessed by all of you!

Also, on another positive note, Anita and I may have taken care of our "car issue" as well. Not exactly what we had planned on, but here is the story. On January 29, Anita and I went to Durban and "purchased" a car from a dealer in a shipping yard. This was done because you can buy a "better" car for less money. Over 22 weeks later, we are still in Lesotho with no car from the dealer. After many efforts to contact the dealer, we have finally heard from the dealer that the car will not be sent. So, we have "donated" a lot of money to this dealer with nothing to show for it. But, at least this has given us closure on the issue of waiting for the vehicle. (We will also be looking into legal action to try and get our money back, but that seems unlikely at this point). But, on the bright side, God has shown us another (much safer) option for our vehicle. There was a previous Beautiful Gate volunteer that was here that is going home to Australia (not Alan and Donna) and is looking to sell his vehicle. That vehicle is already registered in Lesotho and will be in Maseru on Monday (hopefully). So, when I get back from Beaufort West, I hope to inspect the vehicle and potentially purchase it. The best part is that I will know exactly where the vehicle is (no waiting for a crook in Durban to ship it). It is a completely different vehicle from what I ever dreamed of, but Anita and I feel that this is what God has planned for us now. It is a 1998 Land Rover Defender 90. Check it out on google. It is not much for looks, but it will allow us to go ANYWHERE in Lesotho that we want to go. Some of the roads in Lesotho are for 4x4 vehicles only and we will be able to take any of those that we want. It will be a lot of fun to explore more of Lesotho than we ever thought possible. The vehicle is short on storage space and not great on cruising mileage, but will be awesome in the mountains of Lesotho.

So, next week may be very busy for me but also complete 2 of the 3 most stressful things in my life right now. The third is culture shock and I don't know that there will be an easy answer to that. But, Anita and I continue to thank God for His provision. We still have "ups" and "downs". but God is faithful.

To Him be the glory!

Bryan

Fun despite the Cold

2011-07-13T14:23:00.002-04:00

Okay, bear with us as we come up with a few bad jokes about the cold weather inside our house :) Here are our top 10 reasons that you know when it is COLD inside your house...

1. You no longer need to refrigerate your butter, eggs or drinks because room temperature is about the same as the inside of the fridge.
2. You can buy cut roses and they last for over 2 1/2 weeks because it is like being in the floral shop's fridge (this has been proven as I have a dozen roses from Bryan that are over 2 weeks old and still beautiful).
3. You stop by the door on your way outside to take off your coat, hat, gloves, and scarf because it is 30 degrees warmer outside than inside.
4. You can all see your breath when you are eating breakfast together at the table.
5. You wear 2 pair of socks and slippers with a thick rubber sole and you still can't feel your feet.
6. You stand by the shower and debate with yourself for 10 minutes whether you can survive the minute it will take to get undressed and jump in the shower (if the pipes aren't frozen that is).
7. Your family is dressed like they are ready to go sledding, but you are only watching a movie together on the laptop.
8. You pull out meat from the freezer that you need the next night for dinner and it is still frozen in the middle after sitting on the counter for 20 hours.
9. You volunteer to do the dishes after meals because you want to thaw your hands in the dish water.
10. Your ideal family time is squeezing 5 people on a 2 seat sofa so you can read books and keep each other warm with body heat.

So we thought we would try a little humor while sitting here in the cold :) You may think that some of these are an exaggeration, but I can honestly tell you that when I leave drinks on the counter and then compare them to the drinks from the fridge, they are about the same temperature. Crazy!!!! We are enjoying every sunny afternoon out in the sun behind our house, and praise God for it's warming rays. It is so much warmer here in the winter than in Michigan and we find it ironic that we do whatever we can to stay indoors in a Michigan winter and we do everything we can to get outside in a Lesotho winter ;)

Language

2011-07-10T15:48:00.003-04:00

Today we had a family of volunteers from Cape Town, SA come and join us at Beautiful Gate. They will be doing some gardening and helping out at the preschool this week. They have two children, Faith 12 and Luke 11, as of today. Our kids were thrilled to meet another girl named Faith as we have met a few Elijah's in the states but not a Faith that is a kid. It will be a fun week of yelling Faith and having both of them answer ( I am pretty sure that we will not ever have that with another Mercy as we have never heard of another kid with that name).

The reason I am really sharing about our new volunteers was just to share a simple story which showed me a glimpse of how important learning different languages is becoming to our family. Today is Luke's 11th birthday so Laury (our suite mate) made him a cake and when it was time for him to blow out the candles, we all decided to sing happy birthday in our native languages. We sang it in English, Dutch, and Afrikaans. It was so much fun, but I was worried he would not have an candles left by the time we got through the 3 songs. I decided I need to learn to sing it is Sesotho so we can add another language ( I know how to sing it in Spanish, but don't think that would be too helpful in this part of Africa) next time there is a birthday. Uh oh, that only gives me 15 days as Elijah and Mercy will be celebrating their 8th and 4th birthdays on the 25th of July!!!

I am so impressed by all the volunteers and many of the local Basotho people because most speak 2-3 languages. I am ashamed that all I know is a little Spanish and am currently trying to learn Sesotho, but feel like I have a bad lisp. There are some very very unnatural sounds that our tutor wants me to make and I just can't seem to do it. Bryan rocks in this area and will be speaking it in no time. I am proud of him! I think though that I will work very hard to make sure my kids learn a lot of the language because it means a lot to people when you try to speak to them in their language. I was ready to quit last week with my tutoring because it is frustrating and I am really bad at it, but hearing those songs in different languages re-energized me to try harder. I want to speak to the kids and staff here in their own language and I want to help my kids learn it too while their little brains are better at picking it up than my slow brain :)

Latest Container News

2011-07-07T17:04:00.003-04:00

Container Update from Todd who is back in Cape Town (after an unsuccessful trip at the end of June when he flew from Zeeland, MI to get the container, but the container never arrived). The Container is in Cape Town this time and he is working on getting it cleared through customs. This is the container that has thousands of pairs of shoes for a city in South Africa where the children run home from school barefoot going from one shade tree to the next shade tree so as not to burn their feet as badly. They had room left on the container after filling it with shoes, so a few churches in Zeeland/Holland filled 59 (I think) boxes for Beautiful Gate and let our family put 9 boxes on as well. I wanted to pass along his email as he asked once again for some prayer support...

Ok --- I spent the day in customs chasing one after another people and places. Tomorrow, I will attempt to chase down two new contacts, one on the inside. this is crazy!!! They asked for different paperwork. We gave them an invoice a couple of days ago. We gave them a packing slip which will be sent to customs first thing tomorrow. The problem is that customs will then inspect the boxes and weights to make sure everything lines up. Let me just say --- it might just not align up perfectly as things have changed. hum??? So - send a prayer for the container tonight. as we need God to pull another miracle for us. I'm jumping in the middle of things tomorrow so pray that I do be-friend them instead of ending up on the other side of things...lol

I was within 100-200 yards of our container today ---- so close but yet so far.

This is a good thing --- It will help so many people. Plus Bryan and his family are waiting for their items. We are close. Homestretch. Pray with me! Pray hard for the customs to show favor for us and release the container.

Hopefully Beautiful Gate will be blessed by many good things in the next week. I am looking forward to seeing the faces of the staff when we unpack those boxes and bless the kids and houses with many good gifts from some very loving and generous people in Michigan.
Thanks for your prayers,
Anita

Happy July 4th :)

2011-07-04T14:13:00.002-04:00

For the first time since I can remember, I am not going to be watching the 4th of July fireworks tonight. It has always been a fun family time for me. As kids my dad would find 2 or 3 different cities who were showing fireworks on different nights and he would drive us around to them. We would enjoy some snacks and drinks and wait and wait and wait (you get the idea) for it to get dark. It was one of the funnest times I remember as a kid. Since having our own kids, Bryan and I have been getting together with his family in Ludington, MI to watch the fireworks each 4th of July. Elijah and his Aunt Amy have had a standing date for many years that he would sit on her lap, watch fireworks and enjoy some cuddle time. I always enjoyed some really good conversations with my brother-in-law during our July 4th weekends and good quality time with my nieces and their parents and my mother and father-in-law. Then after the long wait to leave the fireworks, we'd put the sleeping kids to bed and play board games into the wee hours of the night/morning. Today as I was thinking about this holiday (which is the day our county celebrates its freedom) that I have more fond memories of this holiday than any other, wow. All of them great family memories.

So in honor of July 4th, the kids and I downloaded a video off You Tube of London's 2011 New Years celebration (it took me an hour and I only got half of it but it was still worth it). Wow, that was pretty cool and the kids were very excited to see all the fireworks. Elijah said thanks and that it really made his night because I found fireworks for him to watch. I told him that I know I am no Aunt Amy, but he would have to cuddle by me while we watched it. I am so thankful that God gave me children who are so easy to please. It really made all of them smile and they all thanked me before going to bed. I guess we found a new temporary way to celebrate until we go home on furlough and watch the real ones :) Oma and Papa we have already invited ourselves to the 2013 July 4th fireworks in Ludington!!!! So for my American friends, enjoy your day.
God bless you all and also all those who have fought, and are still fighting so we can celebrate our freedom.
Anita

A Day at the River

2011-06-29T15:10:00.003-04:00

So, I tried 4 times today to upload a few pictures to our blog, but to no avail as you can see (or not see in this case). I really wanted to give you the visuals that I had today. After school I took our kids to the river to look for dinosaur bones (we knew we would not find any and were just enjoying using our imaginations). Along the way to the river, it seemed like we picked up a kid from each house we went past until there were 8 of them following us down to the river. I am feeling a bit like the pied piper in a fairy tale story but with children following me and not rats. I thought they just wanted to be with my kids because white children are a bit rare, but more and more I find them sitting by me and talking to me and coming to me when they get hurt. Once again I expected to be close to the BG children and I am, but I am surprised at how many neighborhood kids I am getting to know.

Anyway, once we were to the river, my kids and all the other rolled up their pants ( or should I say I rolled up at least 6 pair of pants despite having only 3 kids, hahaha) and waded into the icy water and then dug in the sand with the spoon and cups I had brought from home. Elijah and his friend Luky were digging a huge hole so they could make a mine. Faith found some clay and began rolling it into balls so she could collect them, Mercy was just digging in the sand and getting dirty (I know you are all shocked that my 3 year old would do that right), and then 5 of the neighborhood kids started sliding down the sand hill on the bellies. Wow did they get covered in dirt (those are the pictures I wanted to show all of you)! Then 5 of them decided to go farther down the river and strip down to their underwear and take a swim, brrrrrrrrrrr. My kids were not even tempted to join them and just laughed at how crazy they were to swim in the ice cold water. During this time one little boy just sat down next to me and kept smiling shyly at me while all the other kids played. I guess he just needed a little adult attention so I tried to give it to him even if he has no idea what I was saying ;) After an hour and a half at the river, we packed up and headed back to BG and as we walked by some of the kid's houses, they said goodbye and headed back home. We picked up a whole bunch more kids as we walked and they happily walked us back to BG.

As we were walking by one house, Luky told us it was his house and he is the friend of Elijah's that we have "employed." I saw a little girl who has been coming to BG's fence often and I asked him who she was and he said it was his sister. I think she is barely 3 years old! It made my heart happy to know that not only are we helping Luky and his older sister have food each week, but we are also helping this little girl have food. Elijah told me today that Luky said thanks for the big bag of papa we gave him yesterday because when he went to bed his stomach was full. It brought tears to my eyes then and it did again as I wrote that. Last week satan tried to paralyze me by the need around me in hopes that by my being overwhelmed, I might not be able to help. But God has given our family wisdom to help this family and Luky has been so grateful and thanked us each time we have given him his "wages" of food and school supplies. Thank you God for helping us, help him and I also thank God that although I can not help all 8 kids (nor the 30+ others who live close to BG) who were at the river with us, I can be their friend and sit with them, laugh with them, and cry with them. God is good!
God Bless You All,
Anita

Sharing My Day

2011-06-28T15:22:00.003-04:00

Today was a relaxed day. The kids and I spent the morning with some homeschooling and I even got a little creative with their math and made a store for them. Both Faith and Elijah were working with money in their math books so I took a bunch of their toys and made them buy them with exact change. Faith struggles with adding quarters and tends to only pay with dimes so I had to be a mean store clerk and told her no dimes would be accepted for certain purchases. That worked!!! Naturally they had so much fun that they did not want to get back to regular school but wanted to play store for the rest of the morning. I'll have to remember to save my creative ideas for the end of school not the beginning, right!
Then we all went to tea time for a little morning break. When we finished our tea we went out to the playgroup and got all dirty in the sand box with the BG kids. The kids all love the sand boxes at Beautiful Gate and they sure can get messy. I had about 4 little girls and a little boy who I was tickling and chasing around when we were not in the sandbox. I love getting a good laugh out of the kids and they seem to like it too or they would not keep coming back for more! After playgroup, I made lunch and watched out the kitchen window as neighborhood kids ran and played outside the BG fence. There were about 8 girls who were swinging around and singing songs in Sesotho. Today I did not have my kids join them because yesterday I let them play out there for over 2 hours with a soccer ball and hula hoops and I did not have time to watch them again today (house needs to be picked up once in awhile right).

After lunch I read a few books with Faith and then had to help our roommate Laury unload groceries from the van. She shops for the children and staff at Beautiful Gate every two weeks. Then we unload the groceries and sort them into 4 piles for each house. Bryan, Laury and I fill up wheelbarrows and take the food to the houses. When the BG kids are outside, they often come up to the wheelbarrows and take things off so they can "help" and carry the items to the houses for us. They usually stop right in front of me and block my path for a long time, but they are so cute as they are eager to help with the "heavy load." After my last load of grocery deliveries, I stayed in the house for a few minutes chasing all the kids with some plastic animal toys and making the noises that the animals would make. I am not sure if the house mother appreciated me getting the kids all hyper, but I had fun ;)
I made dinner after that and then we ate dinner and all sat around (my family, Laury, Merline, and Jessica) talking and sharing a little dessert. We moved to the living room and talked a little while longer and Bryan, Jessica and I all had a kid cuddled up on our lap so we could keep warm. Mercy was so tired she fell asleep on Bryan while they cuddled. That was partly due to her playing rather than napping this afternoon. As I type this most people are in bed because I think they are so cold that going to bed is the easier thing to do so they can stay warm. It was 45.5 degrees Fahrenheit this morning and I think it is probably back to that now as I am writing because I have almost lost feeling in my fingers ;) I know this isn't an exciting post but I thought I would just share our day. It was a good day and I hope tomorrow will be good as well.
Good night,
Anita

Happy Birthday!!!

2011-06-25T13:50:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday to Beautiful Gate!!! Ten years ago today, Beautiful Gate was "born". It is amazing how many kids have received hope and a future since then!

"You did not do it for Me"

2011-06-21T14:04:00.004-04:00

“For I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me. Then they also will answer Him saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Matthew 25:42-46

I am struggling desperately with these verses. The children that my kids have been playing soccer with have been coming to the fence each day for months now and a few of them are becoming good friends with my kids. One of them is a 12 or 13 year old boy who is an orphan but whose sister has been caring for him. He has no school shoes so he can’t go to school sometimes and he has started telling us that he is hungry. His sister lost her job at the factory so they do not have enough food to eat. He told Elijah his story and then we had a staff member talk with his sister to confirm that the story was true. The kids and I have made a plan where he will help us walk around the outside of Beautiful Gate once a week picking up litter in exchange we will provide him with a bag of food and a few other essential items (shoes, warm socks, etc). It is the best I can come up with so he is not forced to beg and can maintain his dignity. We have been told by many not to just give handouts because it strips away their pride and having him "work" for it will help him feel good about himself. But is it enough? He was telling Elijah today how hungry he was but there were 10 other kids with him so if I gave him food, I’d have to feed them all. If I feed all of them they will tell their friends and soon there will be 50 kids or more outside the gate begging for food each day.

I am praying for God’s wisdom in this situation but I feel defeated. I am overwhelmed by the need and by the desire to care for the least of these. What if Jesus was one of the kids asking for food and I said no because then I’d have to feed 50 kids? What if it was Jesus who did not have warm enough socks and I made Him pick up litter to earn the socks? What if Jesus was one of these kids at my door and I refused to help Him? I have such doubt that I am doing enough and I feel like running and hiding from the need around me. I think of the story of the boy on the beach who is throwing back starfish that have washed up on shore. There were thousands of them and the boy was throwing them back one at a time. A man asked him why he bothered throwing them back because he couldn't save them all. Then the boy picked up another starfish and threw it back and said it made a difference to that starfish (very paraphrased version of the story). But I can’t seem to think that way. I think what if I helped the wrong one? What if I helped one that could crawl back on his own, but missed the one who needed the help the most? Who do I help? How do I help? Am I pleasing Jesus or am I being selfish by not sharing more of what I have? As you can see I am struggling a lot right now with doing enough for God. The boy’s story above is just one example of many more I have seen and heard. Just writing this keeps bringing tears to my eyes so I will end this post.
Anita

Winter Struggles

2011-06-17T15:50:00.003-04:00

Winter is setting in around Lesotho and unfortunately BG's social worker was right. She warned us that our numbers would increase when the weather turned colder. We have had several new babies added each week. Last week Bryan posted about the one day old and the one week old babies who were found. Yesterday we got a 3 month old baby. The mother died and the baby's father is unknown. The grandmother was unable to care for the baby so she gave the child to Beautiful Gate. We were surprised by how small he was for being 3 months and we have some volunteers here this week from Cape Town who have been giving him some extra attention for the past 2 days. Then we got a 5 month old baby this afternoon. His mother was shot last night and the police found him and brought him to the hospital and then to BG. He looks well cared for and it is so sad that he had a mother who was caring for him but then she was abruptly taken away. We are at 55 kids now and there were only 42 when we arrived.

The staff at Beautiful Gate could really use your prayers. There have been so many deaths of their loved ones this week. One house mother's brother died, a house helper had her baby prematurely and the baby died, another house staff's sister had twins who passed away, and one of our staff members became sick months ago and has been gone trying to recover, but last night she passed away. It is a time of sorrow and mourning for many staff here and they could use the extra prayer support. Many times, they just accept these deaths with a look of hardness because they are so used to death. But under that hard look, I wonder how their hearts really feel. To lose siblings, nieces, nephews, friends, and children must be heartbreaking and it must hurt even if it does happen more frequently than I can fathom.

Winter here is hard on the Basotho people. There is less food in their gardens, not enough coal or fuel for the fires and sickness abounds. Many cannot care for their own needs so the needs of their children will go unmet. They will go hungry or be abandoned so the parents won't have to see them suffer. Tough choices...what will they do, how will they make it when there is no money and no jobs. Then they may be weak with lack of food and resources and sickness will invade and bring even more devastation to families. We are only in the first month of winter and I am a bit anxious to see what the next month and a half will be like, but please pray with me for the children who are out in the fields waiting to be found, for the staff who are mourning the losses of family and friends, and for the the Basotho people who are suffering with lack of food and work and also who are struggling with sicknesses.
Thank you for your prayers,
Anita

Distracted

2011-06-13T15:55:00.003-04:00

Satan has allowed us to become distracted and bothered by things which are not important to our calling here at Beautiful Gate and in Lesotho. He has lied to us, frustrated us, discouraged us, etc. We have taken our eyes off Jesus and His calling and lost track of our purpose and goal. As I sat in church yesterday and really reflected on these past few months of waiting for our car and waiting for our boxes in the container, I realized that we have been wasting our time. We cannot control for a single minute when either of those things will arrive. And honestly, will they help me to better serve God here at Beautiful Gate? Will I be a better witness for Jesus because I have a car or because I have a comforter on my bed? Will I serve His purposes for my life better because we have more crafts and toys for the kids? As I thought through all of these things I realized something which I am sure is not profound to you, but it was for me.... It is just as easy to lose track of the goal and be distracted by worldly things and frustrated about things which we cannot control here in Lesotho as it was in Zeeland.

We still have our faith, our health, the resources we need to be warm and well-fed, and we have each other in our family, but we have not been thankful for those things. Instead we have been focused on what we don't have. We certainly are aware that we have much more than all the Basotho's around us and that has bothered us, but it did not bring us to our knees in thanksgiving the way it should. Most of our Basotho friends live in tiny one to two room cinder block houses and we are living in a great house. We have running water and though it is unpredictable and will run out on occasion or is cold, at least we have running water and do not need to go out and use a pit toilet when it is 32 degrees at night. We can use the Beautiful Gate truck once a week to get groceries and also on Sundays for church and only 2 of the 40 staff at BG even own a car! We have not been forced to use the public transportation yet. We always have more than enough food to eat and rarely have the same meal more than once a week and they eat papa and moroho each day. We have so much to be thankful for and our time would be better spent thanking God for what we do have and less time worrying about what we do not have. Sometimes God says yes, sometimes He says no and then sometimes He says not yet. My prayer is that we will please Him with our actions and attitudes while we wait for His not yet to be a yes.
May God help each of you in whatever it is that has been your distractions. May you persevere and keep your eyes focused on Him.
Anita

Our Kid's Thoughts

2011-06-11T03:54:00.004-04:00

"Yesterday me and the Beautiful Gate kids got to play soccer together. I brought my soccer ball to play group. My best friend at BG has a broken arm, and it made me feel sad that he has a broken arm (he fell off a swing). I wish he had not broken his arm. I was amazed at how fast he ran with his broken arm and he never fell. After I played soccer with the kids I came home and went into the fort my dad made and I rested." - Elijah

"I like to play outside when it is sunny. I like to see sheppards go by behind our house. My friend broke his arm. I am sad since he broke his arm, but my other friend is good. He didn't break his arm. He is not injured or nothing. I love playing with my 2 friends here at Beautiful Gate." - Faith

"I love to walk with the littlest kids in playgroup. There is one little girl that I like to hold hands and walk her to her house after playgroup. I am watching Snowball (our "adopted"outdoor cat) try to catch a bird. I love to pet Snowball and I love to watch Snowball hunt. I love love Snowball and the other cats here even Peanut when he is mean (that is the shy cat that hisses at the kids)." - Mercy

With Love,
Elijah, Faith and Mercy

Hope & Love

2011-06-07T08:03:00.005-04:00

This week has started off very interesting at Beautiful Gate. Nothing has gone the way that I have planned, but my plans are small and insignificant compared to God's plans!

Yesterday, Beautiful Gate was called to receive two new children from Queen II Hospital. This is not uncommon, but 2 on the same day is a little strange. The first child was found abandoned outside just South of Maseru. It is one week old. The second child was found near a dam that supplies Maseru with power. This area has a lot of people walk by it. This child was found wrapped in clothes but still had not been cleaned up from delivery. I cannot imagine that someone gave birth to a child and immediately wrapped it up and abandoned it! The police came to retrieve the child and Queen II Hospital cleaned the child up and called the Department of Social Welfare. DSW then reviewed the children's cases and decided that Beautiful Gate was the appointed place for their future to begin. Seeing them wrapped in warm clothes and little baby clothes when they arrived, you would never know that they were abandoned less than 24 hours before. They are now a new blessing to one of our houses, where they will receive food, clothing, shelter and most importantly.....

HOPE, LOVE, AND THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST!

God has a plan for their lives and it will be interesting to see where they go and what they do! Sometimes I even envy that God gets to know it all and see how it all unfolds. The Lord has a wonderful plan laid out for them!

Today, God also brought together another divine intervention. An eleven year old girl found Beautiful Gate and asked for our help. Her mother had disappeared in South Africa and after the death of another "family" member, that "family" could not support her any more. So, they did the most unthinkable thing I could even contemplate... They dropped her off in the middle of the industrial area in town and told her to ask around about orphanages nearby. She spent the night outside and slept in the rain and cold weather. She didn't even have a warm pair of pants. In the morning (today) she asked many people going to work where an orphanage is. Someone must have pointed her to Beautiful Gate. Unfortunately, she is too old for us to take care of, so after some warm food and finding some warm clothes for her, Beautiful Gate took her to the Department of Social Welfare to find a "home" for her. My greatest fear is that she will go to one of the other orphanages in town and just barely have her needs taken care of. Sometimes I wish that Beautiful Gate would accept children 5 or older. It is heartbreaking to see children just tossed aside like that. Think back to when you were 11. Now imagine that your parents have left you and dropped you off in a strange part of town. You finally find a place of "safety" and they transport you to another "facility". I hope and pray that God will look after this young lady and find her a loving, caring, Christian "home".

But, in the midst of all this pain and sorrow, "these three remain: Faith, Hope & Love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Corintians 13:13. I must have faith that God will provide for ALL of His children. I hope that there will be an end to stories like these. And I love seeing these children confidently embracing their future knowing that God has a plan for their lives.

God also has a plan for your life! Don't ever forget that God is always right beside you. All you need to do is ask for Him to fill your life and He will guide you through whatever comes your way.

Bryan

Encouraging Moments

2011-06-04T09:32:00.002-04:00

This week Bryan and I had a few encouraging moments and I want to share them with you.

The first is that I got to meet the little boy I posted about 2 days ago. My friend brought him over to my house and when he saw me, he made a little grunting noise and help his arms out to me so I could take him from her. It melted my heart that he wanted me to hold him and it also squeezed my heart with pain to see his swollen stomach and tiny arms and legs. He is so tiny, but he seems to have such a fighting spirit. He is a beautiful boy and holding him and seeing him brought me peace and encouragement that nothing is impossible for God!

Bryan had a major breakthrough in his relationship with one of the BG children this week too. For 5 months, he has been driving her to school and picking her up almost everyday. He always says hi and smiles at her and tries to talk to her and she NEVER talks back to him. It has always bothered him that she keeps her distance and does not seem to want to trust him so each day he has continued to greet her. Tuesday, when he picked her up from school he greeted her in Sesotho and she actually greeted him back! It may not seem like much but for Bryan this is a big step for her to begin to trust him.

My final encouraging moment that I am so happy to share is about a little girl I met 6 months ago here at Beautiful Gate. She was around a year old, and every time I saw her she looked depressed. She would not make eye contact and if I picked her up, she would go limp in my arms. I have not let this discourage me though because I was very concerned that she has detachment symptoms. Each week, I'd pick her up and she would continue to look away and go limp. I'd sit by her at playgroup, push her on the swing and on the merry go round, but she continued to look sad and never smiled or looked like she was having any fun. Last week, I saw her really smile for the first time and wow, what a reward to see that smile. Then this week on Wednesday, she put her arms up to initiate me picking her up. When I picked her up she smiled at me and did not go limp in my arms. Then I played with her and she laughed, real belly laughs and I just about cried with joy. I played with her again yesterday and she was the same way laughing when I chased her and smiling at me. I feel like God has given me the best gift ever with that smile and laugh. I am so encouraged that she is going to bond well with her new parents whomever they might be! They are very lucky because she is precious.
Anita

Neglected Boy

2011-06-02T04:34:00.001-04:00

My new friend is a nurse who volunteers at a different child care center in Lesotho, not Beautiful Gate. Sometimes she gets new kids in who are extremely malnourished and she and her husband will take them home and care for them until they are out of danger. They have also done this with very sick children. I admire their strength in taking these children to their home and nursing them back to health. After they have helped them, they have to give them back to the child care center where they have to hope the kids will get the food and care they need to thrive. Sometimes, the kids are too far gone and they don’t make it, so my friend always sends her husband in first thing in the morning to check if the child has made it through the night (I understand why she does this, but poor guy). They have beautiful hearts and are doing such a great job caring for the least of these.

A couple days ago, she and I were on a walk around Ha Thetsane (Our neighborhood). She began to tell me about a brand new boy who was brought to her child care center (and who is now staying at their house). This little boy is 2 years and 8 months old and he weighs 5.5 kg (around 11 pounds). I think that is about what my kids weighed within the first 3 months of their lives. HE IS OVER 2 YEARS OLD!!!! How sad that he has suffered so greatly at such a young and innocent age. His head is normal size and he has lots of teeth which is good, but his stomach is swollen from starvation and his legs and arms are so skinny with absolutely no muscle tone. When she held him and fed him a little milk, she was worried that he might be too far gone, but then she kissed him and he actually kissed her back and tried to give her a little smile.

Praise God that he has the will to live and to fight despite the neglect he has suffered for years. He was staying with the tribal chief in his village and why it took them so long to respond to his needs, we will never understand. Please pray that God can restore his health and protect him from the possible side effects of poor nutrition in the early stages of life. We already know how much God loves him because he has provided this couple to care for him and nurse him back to health. Pray for the Basotho people to look after and care for not only their own children but also those in their community. Please pray that God will convict them that if they cannot care for these children, that they will find someone who can and will. The neglect is heart breaking and shocking and I pray their eyes will be open to what they are doing to these precious blessings from God. Thank you for your prayers for him and all the other orphans and neglected children in Lesotho and around the world!
Anita

Brrrr and it isn't even the coldest month yet!!!!

2011-05-31T16:12:00.003-04:00

We are sending you a cold greeting from Lesotho today. It is suppose to snow tonight, but no accumulation at this point. I can tell you that we have never been this cold in May and I think we are going to have the worse June and July of our lives(weather related only) because we are spoiled and used to it being summer ;)I am wearing a long underwear shirt, a vest, a fleece jacket, a fleece blanket and my nose and feet are freezing cold (yes, I am wearing my shoes). Our house is at 50 degrees Fahrenheit and it is 10pm. I must humbly confess that I thought people were kind of wimpy when they talked about how cold it is in Lesotho because I thought I am from Michigan where it snows for at least 3 months each year. What I did not take into account was my lovely furnace (Oh, I will NEVER take it for granted again), heated cars, and insulation. Not only is our house cold, but when you go to any other building it is cold too, such as school or church. We are learning what it means to wear layers and we are especially thankful for the person who invented electric blankets so our nights can be more tolerable :) I have to confess also that if we are all this cold today which is the day before June, what will we be like in the end of June and in July their coldest time of year! The schools actually shut down for one month between June 23 and July 23 because of the cold and the inability to heat the school buildings. My how different things are here from in Michigan where a class would not be without heat. Air conditioning is optional, but I always knew my kids would be warm at school.
I am beginning to look around me at the kids who live near Beautiful gate and feel a lot of compassion for them. If I am this cold with all my layers, what must their feet feel like with those worn out and holey shoes and no socks. Or worse yet, barefoot! I have all these layers on and a blanket and some of them do not even have a coat on. And not just to be cool like some kids do in America where they wait at the bus stop and freeze, just to look cool to their friends, but these kids don't have one or have outgrown their only one. My kids have begun to go outside the fence and play soccer with the neighbor kids and I think I'll begin to pray about what it is I can do to help the kids. Maybe I'll have to start a warm sock and shoe ministry :) As for me, Bryan and the kids, I guess we will all have to start sharing the same couch when we relax in the evening so we can share body heat. If we can't beat the cold then some warm family cuddle time is in order!

My Bi-Polar Day :)

2011-05-27T16:09:00.001-04:00

Today was what I have come to think of as a bi-polar kind of day. It started with an adoption ceremony which was, to be honest a little bitter sweet. I feel bad saying that, but I have fallen in love with the little boy who was adopted today and I am going to miss his sweet smile and happy voice when he would say ‘Me’ Anita booooook. I am so happy for him that he has found parents who are going to love him and cherish him and who will provide him with a hope and a future. I don’t for one second want the kids to stay here, but I sure am going to miss them when they leave 

As I was getting ready to make dinner tonight, a young boy of 18 years came up to the fence by our house and began asking me questions. He had noticed me and the kids outside a lot and wondered who we were and why we were here (good questions). I explained all about Beautiful Gate, about homeschooling my children, about us being missionaries, and many other things. Then he looked at me and said that he too was an orphan and asked what I could do to help him, such as offer him a job. I told him that I live on grounds and do not have any jobs to offer him. He could apply for a job at BG but I cannot guarantee that they would have work for him either. We talked a little more and then he thanked me and went home. It felt awful to send him away without a job or even hope of a job.

After he had gone, a large crowd of kids gathered at our back fence. It is normal for about 3 kids to gather there as Faith and Elijah have made a few friends, but today there were about 10. While I was cooking dinner, Elijah asked Laury to watch them if they went out of the fence and played with the kids. She agreed and then there were about 15 kids who gathered and we threw a soccer ball over the fence and they all cheered and started kicking it all around. There are twins who live behind us and we see them everyday, but they are very shy and have never talked with my kids before. Today they talked with Faith and then they came and talked with me at the fence with a few of their friends. It was a special time of feeling like our kids belonged in the neighborhood and it felt good. They played for about an hour before I had to call them in as it was getting pretty dark outside.

Each day is so different here, with so many ups and downs. There are happy moments, sad moments, proud moments, and moments I can’t even begin to describe. That is why I say that my days are a bit bi-polar.
God Bless You All,
Anita

Good-bye Azusa Pacific University Staff and Students

2011-05-25T15:40:00.002-04:00

Our 16 house guests have just left to head back into South Africa for a safari and then to all sorts of places including back home for some and European travels for others. It was a blessing to serve them and to spend 2 ½ weeks with them. Their joy for the Lord and compassion and love for the children here and for the Basotho people was encouraging to see and be a part of. It was tiring at times because I have never cooked for 22 people 3 times a day (Laury helped a ton or I never could have done it). We decided to do their cooking for them to allow them to have as much time in the community , in class, and with the Beautiful Gate kids as they could get. I think it worked out well for them as today they gave a presentation about what they had learned in the 2 ½ weeks they were here. They had been to the Chinese factories, police/fire station, churches, schools, hospitals, and talked with the neighbors around Beautiful gate to gather their information. I did not get to hear the whole presentation, but what I heard was very informative and well done. Not only did they gather information about the community, they showed that they really cared about those they met through their stories and through their tears as they left.
It is inspiring to see young people who are ready to take on the challenges of the world and make a difference. They have the kind of faith that Jesus wants us all to have. Faith that they can move a mountain, help a community ravaged with HIV, make Beautiful Gate an even better place for the staff and children, faith that is real and is not discouraged by statistics or odds that are not in their favor. We could all learn from them and should do our best to encourage them. I did not bless them as much as they blessed me this week by allowing my family to see their enthusiasm and hopefulness. 3 of the girls even took the time to write me and Bryan notes of encouragement and thanks. They were very interested in our story and what brought us to Beautiful Gate. One of the girls also did not allow a single meal to pass without expressing her thankfulness to myself and Laury. They played and talked with my children for endless hours with patience and real interest so my kids felt loved and important. These students have beautiful, thankful and encouraging hearts and it was a blessing to be a part of their lives for a few weeks. I am thankful that they came here to bless Lesotho, Beautiful Gate, and also my family.

Container update

2011-05-24T01:50:00.002-04:00

Here is an update on our/Beautiful Gate's container shipment. It sounds much better than the first email we received. More delays but at least no threats of destroying the boxes this time.

It appears the container has left Djibouti - whoo hoo!!! It is scheduled to arrive in Durban, S Africa on the 30th of May and Cape Town on the 8th of June. However, that route has plenty of delays on it and it appears it will arrive later than the 8th. I tried to change the final destination to Durban but no luck. So, that is what I know so far. Also, we have not cleared customs as of yet so I'm praying that some good news will come soon on that.

Still praying for a miracle to happen regarding customs and delivery.

Your prayers are still appreciated in this matter and hopefully in a few weeks we will celebrate answered prayer :)

Also, Faith Mercy and I are pretty sick, might be strep, and may be making our first visit to a medical clinic today. Mercy's ear is pretty painful as are Faith and my throats so prayers for healing would be appreciated as well.
Thanks,
Anita

Every Tribe & Nation

2011-05-18T15:45:00.004-04:00

While I was listening to Ray the other day, it just hit me about how every tribe and nation will be present in Heaven. It is an easy thing to read, but it is a lot easier for me to understand since I have seen many different people and cultures here in Africa. It amazes me that there are eleven different official languages in South Africa. And, most kids in Lesotho know English and Sesotho languages pretty well. Can you imagine what it will sound like in Heaven? Everyone will be praising God in their own languages and cultural traditions. I have a feeling that we will be in awe of the way that God created us, each individually His!!

I have truly been blessed to be here at Beautiful Gate! I have had the opportunity to meet Basotho, Australians, Canadians, Americans, Dutch, Swedish, South African, Zambians, Zimbabweans......and the list goes on and on. It has been really fun for me to hear their dialects and you really have to be "quick on your feet" with the different sayings and vocabulary.

Thank you again for all of you who are praying for us. We still do not have our car yet (I won't expand on that) and our container shipment has been delayed again. We expect the container to arrive in Cape Town on June 8 (for now). I am sure that someday we will look back on this "waiting time" and see how/why God made us go through this time. Maybe it was to just teach me patience, or maybe He is keeping us from something terrible. (I like the first option better). Do you think it would help to tell God that I have become a more patient man? Would that help the car to be released?

Also, thank you for all your prayers of support and love. We can really feel them. Life is definitely different here. It is our prayer that the Lord will continue to bless each of you with all that you are in need of.

Tired

2011-05-15T16:18:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone. I am sorry it has been a few days since we posted on our blog, but we are so busy with the 16 guests we have staying in our house with us. We have a team of 12 college students (social work department) from Azusa Pacific University (California) staying with us along with their Professor and her family. It is wonderful seeing these college students and their passion for meeting the local Basotho people and experiencing the culture. Laury and I are providing all their meals and trying to make them feel welcome. I don't remember when I have ever been this tired so I am pretty sure my posts will be sporadic for the next 12 days. Sorry but that is all the energy I have and need to head to bed so I can have the energy to get through tomorrow. Goodnight friends

Empathy

2011-05-11T15:28:00.000-04:00

I feel sick. I am beginning to think that God has given me a thorn in my side here in Africa and it is my empathy. When I see a person hurting or here a sad story, it just makes me emotionally and physically upset. I am so bothered by something that was shared with me today and I need to write it down. This blog has turned into our journal so it seems the best place for me to share my thoughts.

We have a woman (I don’t feel right saying her name so I’ll leave it anonymous) who has agreed to help us clean our house and help us prepare food for the 16 guests we have staying with us for the next 2 ½ weeks. I was asking her a little about where she lives and her family when she showed me a picture and shared with me the story of her granddaughter.

When her granddaughter was one month old, her mother began to beat her. She would scream for the baby to shut up and stop crying. When the baby cried because she wanted to eat or needed a fresh diaper, the mother would beat her. She beat her so badly that the girl ( who is now 20) can not speak at all. She cannot walk and has to crawl to get places. The mother died from AIDS and left this child with the child's grandmother. At this point in the story she pulled out her granddaughter’s picture. The girl is standing on her knees and has one arm turned in at an unnatural angle. But, she is smiling and she is beautiful.

Then the woman tells me that she used to work at a hospital teaching people about AIDS prevention and would leave her granddaughter in the care of some of her family members. When she returned home from work, her granddaughter had blood in her urine and would whimper every time she was touched. Upon further investigation, she realized that her family was beating the child. The woman then began to cry (and so did I)and I put my arm around her as she cried. Once she regained control, she told me that this granddaughter will be in her care until the day she dies (I believe she quit working so she could look after her full time). I told her that I was so sorry that things have turned out so sad for her granddaughter and she got a brave look in her face and said, that is just the way life is here. She then pulled out a picture of one of her daughter and told me that she was murdered by her husband almost 2 years ago, so she is raising 5 grandchildren now.

This poor woman is leaving her house at 5am to get here by 8am so she can earn some money to help her children and grandchildren. And it sounds like she is scared while she is away that something bad will happen to her granddaughter (she will be gone 12 hours, 3 days a week;6 hours spent in transportation and 6 hours of work). I am thankful that she felt comfortable enough to share her burdens with me the first day we met, but it makes me feel sick to my stomach thinking of all that young girl has suffered through. I feel such empathy for her that I literally feel sick. I had a hard time going about the rest of my day because my mind continued to dwell on her story. Will you pray with me that her grandchildren are protected by God and his angels as she is away from them and that God will show grace to me by giving me the wisdom and the words to bring her encouragement and support while she is here with us these next few weeks.

Prayer Request

2011-05-10T16:23:00.003-04:00

We just received this email from a charity in Zeeland who was very generous and asked us if we would like to have some boxes send to Africa on a container since we were moving here for 5 years. Then, there was still room in the container so a few churches put a whole bunch of boxes together for the children at Beautiful Gate. It was supposed to be here last week when our Michigan visitors were here, but missed a boat due to paperwork issues. As you can see from the email below, it is still having paperwork problems. We would appreciate some prayers as there are many items in those boxes which Beautiful Gate needs for the children here.

A charity in Zeeland has sent a container to S Africa filled with shoes, medical items, misc. items for an orphanage, and personal items for a family who moved there for 5 years. We are in desperate need of prayer to make it happen. The basics are the S African gov't has been giving us the run around and requiring more and more paperwork. We have and are trying to meet their needs but are running out of time. The container is scheduled to land in Cape Town on the 22nd of May. If we do not clear customs by then, we face the possibility of heavy fines (Thousands) or worse, the destruction of all our items. Right now, we are pursuing both the paperwork that has been requested this last time and looking at all scenarios if the paperwork is not done in time. Back up and back up to back up plans are needed as this has turned quite political. I'm confident that the goods will not be destroyed but the gov't can play this card if they wanted to.

I'm asking to put this in your prayers. I'm hoping for a resolution as early as tomorrow. However, I know that nothing will happen without God orchestrating it. Please ask him to help clear up the red tape.

Thank you for your prayers and please pass this along to friends or church prayer chains as it would be heartbreaking for Beautiful Gate not to receive these needed items. God is bigger than this and He will work this for His glory.
Anita

The Story of Two Women

2011-05-08T06:58:00.002-04:00

Once there were two women,
Who never knew each other.
One you do not remember,
The other you call mother.
Two different lives
Shaped to make yours one.
One became your guiding star,
The other became your sun.
The first gave you life,
The second taught you how to live it.
The first gave you a need for love
And the second was there to give it.
One gave you a nationality,
The other gave you a name.
One gave you the seed of talent,
The other gave you an aim.
One gave you emotions,
The other calmed your fears.
One saw you first sweet smile,
The other dried your tears.
One gave you up; it's all she could do.
The other prayed for a child,
And God led her straight to you.
And now you ask me through your tears:
Heredity or environment- which are you the product of?
Neither, my darling, neither,
Just two different kinds of love.
(Author Unknown)

Today at church, Pastor Vern gave a very special message for Mother's Day. He talked about how mother's carry their children in their wombs, but for those who take care of someone else's child, their heart is their womb. Both are necessary for that child and each have been chosen by God for their role and purposes in that child's life.

It touches me to see the joy and happiness of the children here at Beautiful Gate, but they would not be joyful, healthy, and well cared for children without the love and care of their house mothers. Their house mothers laugh with them, sing with them, hold them when they are hurt or sad. They are filling in the gap as God brings a new mother who will continue their love and nurturing for the rest of each child's life. Only God knows the circumstances each mother faced as she had to walk away from her child, or passed away to the next life, but God has brought over 260 children through the gates here at Beautiful Gate so they can be loved and cared for by their new family. First the family at Beautiful Gate and then into the family God has ordained for them. For those of you who are in the process of adopting and are reading this blog, please know your precious baby/ child is being shown love each and every day by their house mothers, the staff here, and by our family as they await their appointed time to become yours.
God Bless You,
Anita

Bryan's (Scattered) Thoughts!! Warning: It might only make sense to me!

2011-05-04T14:44:00.003-04:00

Being the Operations Manager at Beautiful Gate has brought many joys, tears, good times, and hardships. It is amazing to notice the "swing" of emotions from one day to the next. There are so many things that I do in one day. Some decisions are small and easy, and others are large and tough. I really have to keep the "big picture" in mind at all times. I also have the pleasure of watching people's eyes "open" to the world that they live in when they visit here. Having groups come to visit has really become one of my favorite things. We just had Vern & Diane and Vern & Mary (from Haven CRC, our home church in Zeeland, MI) visit for about a week. This visit was a complete blessing from God for our family. We have been in Lesotho for 5 months now and our family has been through some ups and downs. There has been homesickness, laughter and many adjustments since coming here. But seeing someone from "home" and getting to know them so much better than when we were in Zeeland was great!

Side Note: Why is it that you need to move 1/2 way across the world to get to know someone better, when they lived just down the street when you were "home"????

Our kids (and us) quickly adopted Vern & Diane and Vern & Mary into our "new family" here at Beautiful Gate. It was amazing to see how quickly our kids bonded with them and "chatted their ears off". I hope that they get some good relaxation on the plane ride home.

We now have a few days to "catch our breath" and then we will be welcoming 16 people into our house for over two weeks. We have a group of 12 college students, 2 professors and 2 children coming to stay with us here at Beautiful Gate. The students are social work majors and will be learning a lot about the people and culture of Lesotho. I can't wait to show them around and watch the reactions of the students to a completely different culture.

I can now say that I have officially become an expert driver in Lesotho. I don't have to concentrate on driving on the left side of the road or think about which side of the steering column that the blinker is on! :) But, we are still waiting for our car to arrive from Durban (13 weeks so far, but who's counting). But, the great news is that I won't have to worry about learning to drive it when it arrives! :) This is really teaching me patience! (not my best fruit of the spirit) And, I am also starting to adjust to the "way things work" here too.

Well, I had better get back to helping the children at Beautiful Gate! Maybe I will have something "deep" and insightful on my next post.

Have a blessed day!
Bryan

Learning a little culture

2011-05-01T16:33:00.003-04:00

On Saturday, we took Laury, Vern, Vern, Mary and Dianne to Teya-Teyaneng (to the locals it is called Ty). The Bosches and Meyaards had been there 5 years ago and wanted to find the weaving place they had visited then. Bryan courageously drove us up a very bumpy road that was going to take us to the weaving store. We were beginning to get a little nervous that the road was leading nowhere when we saw a building that looked familiar to Dianne. The woman who worked there gave us a special tour and we were able to watch a Basotho woman weaving a wall tapestry of 2 zebras. Her hands worked amazingly fast and Faith especially was in awe of her as we just purchased Faith a weaving loom for her birthday in February. Then the Basotho woman took some goat fur and brushed in out, got the spinning wheel, and turned it into yarn. All 3 of my kids were mesmerized. I don't think they even blinked during her demonstration :)We then walked through a barn like building to where they dye the yarn. They use salt and vinegar and chemicals to dye the yarn. When I asked if they used natural dyes, she told me that they tried but the color does not last. She was very willing to show us around and answer our many questions.

Then, we headed for Kome to see the cave dwellings. There are 5 cave houses there and families are still living in these cave homes despite the modern dwellings all around them. There are two families who are descendants of the first cave dwellers who reside in these cave homes. They allow tours to come into their home and see what it is like. The first one was absolutely tiny and we were all shocked when she told us that 4 people live/ sleep in that home. It was extremely dark despite the bright sunny day and very cramped with a twin bed and a small table with a double burner propane stove and some pots and bowls. Where they find room for 4 people to sleep is unimaginable. I couldn't even stand up straight in the house and it was dome shaped which made it even smaller around the edges of the house. We really enjoyed hearing about the cave dwellers and it was neat to share in some more of the Lesotho culture.

We drove back to Maseru and went through Lancer's Gap which is a scenic hill that shows a great panoramic view of Maseru. It was very neat to see the city from the gap and gave me a better grasp of where parts of the city are in relation to one another. We really enjoyed our day of learning about weaving, cave dwellings, and also just enjoying the views and scenery in Maseru ans Lesotho. It was good to have friends here too to share it with us.

Michigan visitors, yeah

2011-04-28T16:07:00.002-04:00

Today Vern & Dianne Meyaard and Vern & Mary Bosch from our church in Zeeland, arrived in Lesotho. They are here for about a week and it was so good to see familiar faces and give them all a hug. I told them that it almost doesn't feel real to see someone from home. I am so happy they are here because I have been missing home pretty badly for a few days now. We enjoyed a nice big dinner and then we would have spent some time talking, but they were overtaken by my children. Elijah was busy telling one of the Verns all about what he has learned in school and showing him his collection of Magic Tree house books and Jigsaw Jones books. Faith was having Dianne read a Christmas blizzard book and then one chapter of one of her Puppy Puzzle books. She said my mom usually reads one chapter a night to me..."how many days are you going to be here?" And at the same time both of them were chattering away, Mercy went and grabbed a few books of her own and showed them to Vern and Mary. I think my children have been missing their grandparents quite a bit so they held in everything they have been wanting to share and then let it all loose in a 2 hour period. I can't even begin to quote all the crazy things they were saying, but Bryan and I had a huge laugh over our kids, especially Faith who is usually more shy.

So after we had them brush their teeth and get in bed, the adults were able to get more talking done. We were able to share about our time here and about the time they were here 5 years ago. So much has changed and developed, yet so much is still the same. I am looking forward to tomorrow when they will have more time to play with "all my kids" aka my 3 and the 50 other kids here at BG. We got to introduce them to several of the kids today, but they will have lots more time to hold babies and play with kids. We are excited to share our journey with them and know that they will be blessed by Beautiful Gate.

A Walking Partner

2011-04-25T15:38:00.002-04:00

One thing that I have always loved to do is take a nice walk either by myself or even better, with a friend. It seems to be the perfect way to work out any stress I have, give me a chance to enjoy God's amazing creation, and listen to or talk with a special friend. I have been really missing the companionship that I once shared with my walking partners in Zeeland (Rachael, Chris, Jaclyn, and Dianna). Today, Donna, a volunteer from Australia, and I went for our first walk and it was just what I needed.

She took me along her walking path which is about 50 min to an hours walk at a fairly quick pace. We walked through a lot of the back roads to the northeast of Beautiful Gate. I had no idea there were so many people living in that area of Maseru as the paved road ends and we have never gone that way. We walked along a dirt road and passed many children and adults who were sitting or standing outside. Most of the houses were made of cinder blocks with tin roofs held in place by large rocks.

One thing that struck me today was the friendliness of all the people we walked past. They were eager to say hello and smile. We would greet many of them in Sesotho and they would answer us in English (it seemed as though they were as eager to practice their English as we were to practice our Sesotho.) Before coming here, I had been told of the dangers of being alone in Lesotho and while it is true that there is crime in any big city and we are in the capital of Lesotho, I am surprised at how friendly and close this community is. When we were walking through their neighborhoods, they smiled and made us feel welcome. I love the Basotho people and am blessed by their joyfulness.

I am looking forward to many many more walks through my neighborhood and hope that over time, we can make some new acquaintances. Donna and I both seem to love a good walk and a good talk and I am thankful that God has provided her as my new walking partner. So it is with a thankful heart that I say goodnight to you all :)
Anita

Our first African Easter

2011-04-24T08:21:00.002-04:00

He is Risen.... Praise the Lord, Christ is Risen!!!

Happy Easter everyone! We had a very nice service at church this morning to celebrate Christ's gift to us. His death and resurrection are the reason we are here. He tore the veil and allowed us to be drawn closer to God and therefore be privileged to hear God speak to us. He died for us all, the abandoned kids here at Beautiful Gate, the mothers and fathers who chose to give them up, and the caring staff who love and tend to their needs each day. He died for us even if we have not chosen to love Him back and accept HIS GIFT. Such selfless love is unimaginable, yet necessary and we thank you Jesus.

Today, our family and Laury hid eggs, chocolate marshmallow eggs, and dum dum suckers for all the kids. It rained all weekend so we had to borrow the preschool and split the older kids and younger kids up into two groups. The little kids went first and were just so cute. Most of them found a dum dum sucker, took off the paper and sat on the floor eating it. They did not want to look for anything else because they were so happy to have the sucker. My kids and Laury pretty much had to finish finding things and then we made a bag for each kid to take home. The older kids were ready and they knew what to do. They were done in no time and were super excited for their bags once we split it all up evenly :) It was very special to see their smiles and hear them talking excitingly.

Bryan's family has always made Easter a special day of fun family time for my kids so it was great to pass on that fun to about 35 kids. The other 15 are babies and not able to participate this year. Hopefully they will have their own families to celebrate with next year! All in all my kids got to decorate 56 eggs this year because we also wanted to make an Easter bag for each of the staff who were working today. It was a great way to spend our first African Easter. One funny thing was that I associate Easter with spring and it is fall here so I have to remember that there won't be any tulips or daffodils blooming this time of year :)

No Car

2011-04-20T10:03:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to update all of you who have been praying about our car situation. Our Lesotho agent called the car dealer on Monday and she said that the dealership was closed all day. So, our car was not loaded for shipment like we had hoped and we have heard nothing since then. Which means no car...

We also have a prayer request that we would like to pass on for our suitemate, Laury. Her father was diagnosed with pnemonia and he is in his earlt 80's, so pnemonia is a bit of a concern. It is hard for her to be here and not see him to know how he is doing. Prayers for his health would be very appreciated as well as prayer for Laury to have peace. Having a family member get sick when you are overseas is very hard and very emotional.

Car??!!

2011-04-16T15:20:00.002-04:00

Well, we purchased a lovely Toyota Harrier exactly 11 weeks ago today. We were assured that the car would be here in 2-4 weeks, but due to some unforeseen tax evasion on the part of our car dealer, our car has not been released. Bryan called our Lesotho agent on Friday and he was told that the car is suppose to be released this coming Monday. Now, we KNOW better than to get our hopes up but this has been the only encouraging news from her in about 7 1/2 weeks, so we thought we had better request a little prayer support from our friends. We would love to have our own car so we can take a day trip once in awhile, get to the post office before it closes at 4:30 (I have about 15 letters I need to mail out), pick up our friends from the airport when they come to see us (we can hope right Vern, Vern, Mary and Dianne), and get groceries when it is convenient for us rather than reserving a Beautiful Gate car and trying not to inconvenience others. All in all, we were pretty frustrated when it did not come for the first 8 weeks and the last 3 weeks we have just been joking around about our car. We found that laughter instead of anger will see us through this :) So, please pray with us that our car will be delivered this week and released quickly out of Lesotho's customs. Thank you!

Thank You

2011-04-14T12:25:00.002-04:00

When we returned from Cape Town, we had an update on our donations received in March. Wow, it was an unexpected amount and what a blessing. We are very humbled by your generousity and really appreciate it. We are not fully funded and have been having trouble getting everyone set up who wanted to support us as we are in Africa and can't just visit or call everyone :) Yet, God is faithfull and has provided some unexpected donors as well as friends who are supporting us more generously than we expected. God is proving once again that He is in charge and He is going to carry us through the next 4 years and 7 1/2 months (but who's counting, right). When we bought our tickets without reaching our goal, it was a big step of faith for our family, as we have always been blessed with stable jobs. We know things may get tight as we get further along, but we know that if God wants us here, He will keep providing. Thank you for your help and pleasing God and blessing us with your giving hearts. Beautiful Gate is blessed by each of you.

While we were in Cape Town 4 new babies/ toddlers were brought to Beautiful Gate. We are up to 50 children now which is the highest since we have been here. Also, while we were away a few of the children in the preschool came down with mumps. Everyone is doing fine and healing, but they could use some prayers for good health as autumn is here and it gets cold in the morning and at night. Change of season can bring more runny noses and overall less healthy kids.

My Sister's Dream

2011-04-11T13:34:00.004-04:00

We had a dream…I was going to go to college and be a counselor and she was going to be a nurse. Due to having a blood transfusion when she was young (before they tested for HIV) and then needing to go through testing for HIV/AIDS when we were a little older made her passionate about the disease and made her want to help children with HIV/AIDS. Her test was negative, but as a family while we waited for the results, we were all very scared about getting it if she was positive. It was still early in the discovery of AIDS so we still did not know how it was transmitted and the 7 of us in my family were anxious about her results. That is why she was going to be a nurse and I was going to be a social worker so she could help kids who had HIV and I could help counsel them and their families in a clinic we set up. We used to sit and talk about our dream as we grew up together, my best friend, my sister, April and I.

I went off to college, and she began nursing school. I began a little different course of study(rather than Psychology) because I knew I could not afford to get my Masters as I had to pay my own way through college. I instead chose criminal justice (but wound up as a social worker in my job after college). Life was going well for me as I met Bryan and we began to plan our wedding…

Life did not go so well for her. She married the wrong man who did not treat her well. She had physical problems which caused her immense pain and made it hard to work. She actually required surgery and needed to miss some of her nursing classes and they failed her. She gave up hope for her dream and gave in to depression, so much so that she ended her life on April 11, 1999. In my sorrow and then through the path my life took, I forgot our dream.

Now here I am, 12 years later in Lesotho, Africa working with HIV/AIDS babies and children. I am holding and caring for the children my sister loved and dreamed of helping. I am feeling her smile from heaven as she watches me and my children running and playing with the kids here. It is with joy and a full heart that I remember her today because we are living our dream in a different way. I am here caring for the children at Beautiful Gate and showing them God’s love for them without fear of HIV because I know God wants me to love them and April is in heaven welcoming those little ones who couldn’t hold on to life and who God has called home.

This post is in loving memory of my sister, my friend, April Michele Owens.

Our Cape Town Adventure

2011-04-10T09:40:00.016-04:00

Our trip to Cape Town was wonderful, heart wrenching and inspirational. It started on Saturday and Sunday with a drive across the beautiful and varied landscape of South Africa. On the way, we saw wild ostrich, baboons, gazelles and even a zebra or two. As we approached the Western Cape we came through some very beautiful vineyard areas (see picture below). And while Anita and I were in awe of the mountains, valleys and kilometers of grapevines, we were also reminded of the ugliness of the area when we rounded a corner and saw the township of the valley. It was heart breaking to see the living conditions of these people.

After another hour of driving, we arrived in the heart of Cape Town. In the picture below, you will see Table Mountain in the background of this beautiful traffic circle (hint: it is the flat mountain in the picture, hence the name). And you will also see the city in front of the mountain. (That is not our car).

And the harbour behind us was beautiful as well. From here, we drove down the shoreline and over Chapman's Pass and then on to Fish Hoek, where our cottage on False Bay was literally just 40 feet from the bay water. This is Fish Hoek! We were also able to meet with the other directors and managers from the other Beautiful Gates. We ended the day with some worship and prayer time with them. What a great way to start the week and get to know new friends.

On Tuesday, all the directors and managers spent the day updating each other on our personal lives and ministry lives. This was great for Anita and I to get to know the other Beautiful Gate organizations and who God has appointed for them at this time.

On Wednesday morning Anita and I woke up early and watched the sun rise over the mountains across False Bay while sitting on the beach! It was awesome to see God's Majesty as His light shown across the cape.

The rest of Wednesday morning was filled with meetings for Beautiful Gate while Anita and the kids (along with the other ladies and kids) were able to play on the beach and explore some of the other sites and sounds of Fish Hoek. On Wednesday afternoon, we all went and toured Beautiful Gate, South Africa. It was amazing to see the similarities and differences of Beautiful Gate, Lesotho with Beautiful Gate, South Africa. Beautiful Gate, South Africa is located in the township of Khayelitsha, just outside Cape Town. It was amazing to see the difference in housing from Cape Town city to the townships. This picture is just the edge of one township and doesn't even begin to convey the living conditions there.

But, as soon as you entered the premises of Beautiful Gate, South Africa, you could feel God's presence there. And, we were blessed to hear a wonderful choir that was practicing in the chapel. It was great to get to know the staff there. (There is even an American helping there too!)

Thursday, we had more meetings in the morning time, and then had some free time in the afternoon. Anita and I took this chance to go to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. Unknown to us, they are actually two different places very close to each other (you can see one from the other, check it out on google). It was really windy that day, with gusts that actually took Anita and I off balance. We climbed up the path to the lighthouse at Cape Point. This is the view of Cape Point from the lighthouse, the closest place to the actual point.

We were also able to see a baboon up close while at Cape Point. Hint: it is on the wall behind Anita and the kids.

We then were "blown over" to the Cape of Good Hope and saw an ostrich up close next to the shore. (See our facebook pages later for more pictures). On our way back to Fish Hoek we were able to stop by a beach that is famous for African penguins and watched them waddle along the shore. We then made it back to Fish Hoek for a couple more meetings in late afternoon and then went out for dinner as a group.

The picture below is of the Cape of Good Hope, taken from the lighthouse at Cape Point.

On Friday morning we had breakfast as a group and Anita and I decided to keep the family in Fish Hoek for one more night while the rest of the group went home. We spent the rest of the day on Friday exploring Cape Town and having a wonderful lunch at a vineyard with a beautiful view (see picture to the right for our lunch view).

After exploring, we decided to have more playtime at the beach with the kids (the water was really cold) and then ended the evening with a nice latte (or hot chocolate for the kids) at a great little restaurant on the beach in Fish Hoek.

Here is a picture of all the kids on the beach during the week!

We woke early on Saturday morning, packed the car and drove back to Lesotho (over 14 hours). It was a long exhausting day of driving, but the Lord brought us back to Lesotho safe and sound. It was a great trip and we enjoyed every moment with our new friends! It was the exact medicine that I needed after a stressful week before the trip. We will never forget Cape Town and look forward to seeing more of it on our next trip there. I will sign off with this amazing picture of God's creation again!

Yours in Christ,

Bryan, Anita, Elijah, Faith & Mercy

Safe Travels

2011-04-09T18:03:00.004-04:00

We are back from Cape Town and wow, what an incredible place! We had a fantastic week meeting new Beautiful Gate friends and hanging out as a family. We just arrived home and it is midnight so I am going to bed. Just wanted to let all of you know that God kept us safe on the roads and all through the week. We will write more tomorrow after we sleep :)